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*      SEP  23 1911      *) 


DivisioQ  liSS^^-SG 
Sction     .r(b4- 


JOHN  THE  LOYAL 


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JOHN    THE    LOYAL 


STUDIES    IN   THE   MINISTRY 
OF   THE   BAPTIST 


/^ll.!!!?^' 


SEP  23  1911 


BY 


'JSlOkl  SEHVkV 


A.  T.  ROBERTSON,  M.A.,  D.D. 


PROFESSOR  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT  INTERPRETATION,  SOUTHERN  BAPTIST  THEO- 
LOGICAL SEMINARY,   LOUISVILLE,   KT.,'   AUTHOR  OP  "  EPOCHS  IN  THE 
LIFE  OF  JESUS,"   "EPOCHS  IN  THE   LIFE   OP  PAUL,"   "SHORT 
GRAMMAR  OF  THE  GREEK   NEW  TESTAMENT,"   ETC. 


6   5^   <pl\0S  ToO    VV/X(f}iOV,  6  icrTIJKbl/S 

Kal    OLKoiup    aiiTov  —  JoHN    3  :  29 


CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW  YORK      ::::::      1911 


Copyright,  1911 
Bt  Chables  Scbibner's  Sons 


Published  February,  1911 


TO 
THE  HONORED  MEMORY  OP 

WILLIAM  HETH   WHITSITT 
SEEKER  AFTER  TRUTH 


PREFACE 

The  literature  on  the  ministry  of  the  Baptist  is  not 
large,  as  the  Bibliography  at  the  close  of  this  volume 
shows.  Our  most  ambitious  treatise  is  still  that  of 
Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  which  was  the  Con- 
gregational Union  Lecture  for  1874.  He  lamented 
then  the  paucity  of  books  on  this  great  theme.  To 
be  sure,  all  the  great  lives  of  Jesus  give  considerable 
attention  to  the  work  of  the  Forerunner  of  the  Messiah, 
and  the  recent  Bible  dictionaries  have  able  articles 
about  him.  It  is  proper  that  John  should  be  over- 
shadowed by  Jesus.  It  was  what  he  himself  wished 
and  what  he  foresaw.  But,  just  as  Paul  is  a  beacon- 
light  in  the  Apostolic  Age,  so  the  Baptist  stands  on 
the  other  side  (and  partly  parallel  with  the  life)  of 
Jesus.  One  furnishes  the  true  prospective  view,  the 
other  the  just  retrospective  interpretation.  Jesus 
towers  in  the  middle,  far  above  both  of  them,  but 
both  John  and  Paul  must  receive  adequate  treatment. 
Paul  has  fared  better  than  John,  partly  because  of 
the  wealth  of  original  material  from  him  and  about 
him,  partly  also  because  of  the  fuller  light  that  blazed 
around  him.     John  was  like  the  morning  star  in  the 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

early  dawn,  a  very  bright  and  shining  one  indeed. 
John  wrote  nothing  himself,  though  probably  "Logia 
of  John"  were  preserved  in  Aramaic  which  were 
used  in  the  fragments  of  his  preaching  preserved  in 
Matthew  and  Luke. 

I  have  written  the  present  book  because  of  the 
fascination  which  John  has  for  me.  I  have  attempted 
a  positive  interpretation  of  the  life  and  work  of  the 
Baptist  for  the  general  reader,  in  the  light  of  the  new 
knowledge  of  his  time.  This  is  an  age  in  which 
everything  is  challenged,  even  the  very  existence  of 
Jesus.  But  merely  technical  points  are  put  in  the 
foot-notes  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  reader  who  does  not 
care  for  them.  Other  questions  of  a  more  erudite 
nature  are  also  reserved  for  the  notes.  The  book  is 
not  meant  as  an  apologetic,  and  I  do  not  feel  called 
upon  to  justify  every  statement  in  the  Gospels  for  the 
benefit  of  the  modern  disbeliever.  I  have  treated 
such  questions  as  occasion  arose,  not  from  a  sense  of 
compulsion.  It  is  John  himself  that  I  wish  to  bring 
before  the  reader,  if  I  may,  with  something  of  his 
powerful  personality.  Vitality  throbs  in  his  words  to- 
day as  when  he  first  spoke  them  to  the  multitudes. 
I  have  called  him  "  John  the  Loyal "  from  no  sensa- 
tional motive,  but  as  an  aid  to  just  understanding  of 
the  man.  The  term  "the  Baptist,"  so  indissolubly 
and  justly  linked  with  his  name,  has  one  peril.     It 


PREFACE  ix 

puts  accent  on  the  new  ordinance  which  attracted  so 
much  attention  then.  But  John  was  not  a  ceremoni- 
alist.  The  spiritual  element  was  the  main  thing  in 
his  nature.  He  "followed  the  gleam"  and  was  loyal 
to  his  vision.     That  is  the  dominant  note  in  his  life. 

The  material  for  a  study  of  John  is  not  very  ex- 
tensive (the  gospel  fragments,  a  little  in  Acts,  a  par- 
agraph in  Josephus),  but  it  is  remarkably  rich  in 
suggestion.  His  figure  stands  out  with  marvellous 
clearness  when  the  various  items  are  brought  together 
and  rightly  interpreted.  He  was  one  of  the  great 
spirits  of  human  history,  and  deserves  our  best  efforts 
to  understand  him.  He  is  still  the  Voice  crying  in 
the  Wilderness,  and  the  people  are  ever  eager  to  hear 

his  words. 

A.  T.  Robertson. 

Louisville,  Ky. 
Febmary  1, 1911. 


I  am  indebted  for  the  excellent  indices  to  three  of 

my  students,  Rev.  Powhatan  James,  W.  J.  Nelson,  and 

J.  B.  Weatherspoon. 

A.  T.  R. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAOB 

I.  Equipment 1 

II.  Challenge 36 

III.  Remedy 69 

IV.  Vision 95 

V.  Reality '  .    .  Ill 

VI.    Temptation 129 

VII.    Joy 160 

VIII.    Peril 180 

IX.    Gloom 195 

X.    Appreciation » 223 

XI.    Martyrdom 254 

XII.    Lingering  Echoes 270 

Bibliography 307 

General  Index 309 

Scripture  Index  ....     , 311 


JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

CHAPTER  I 

EQUIPMENT 

"For  he  shall  be  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  he 
shall  drink  no  wine  nor  strong  drink;  and  he  shall  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  from  his  mother's 
womb"  (Luke  1  :  15). 

1.  The  Hand  of  God. — This  is  the  point  with  which 
to  begin  the  study  of  John's  life,  as  it  is  indeed  with 
that  of  all  men  in  one  sense.  The  presence  of  God  in 
history  is  the  great  lesson  that  the  serious  student  of 
history  learns.  Nothing  but  God's  hand  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  race  can  explain  the  great  movements 
upward  and  onward.  But  the  narrative^  which  tells 
us  all  that  we  know  of  the  birth  of  John  draws  a  far 
more  intimate  picture  of  this  child's  relation  to  God 
or,  rather,  of  God's  interest  in  him.  "The  hand  of 
the  Lord  was  with  him"  ^  as  a  child.  One  loves  to 
think  that  heaven  is  near  the  life  of  every  child. 

1  Holtzmann  ("The  Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  108)  bluntly  says:  "The  story 
of  John's  birth  (Luke  1:  5-25,  57-80)  is  a  legend  of  late  Christian  times, 
which  John  1:  31-34  contradicts."  For  the  life  of  me  I  fail  to  see  what 
there  is  in  these  verses  in  Luke  which  contradicts  the  statement  in  John 
that  the  Baptist  had  not  known  Jesus  till  the  baptism  of  Christ.  It  is 
expressly  stated  in  Luke  that  Mary  left  Elizabeth  about  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  John.  The  acquaintance  between  Elizabeth  and  Mary  (Luke 
1 :  36-56)  does  not  prove  acquaintance  between  John  and  Jesus  (John 
1:  31  ff.).  As  to  the  "legend"  notion  of  Holtzmann,  anything  is  "legend" 
with  him  that  bears  the  mark  of  the  supernatural. 

2  Luke  1 :  66. 


2  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

But  we  are  at  once  ushered  into  an  atmosphere  of 
the  most  intimate  communion  with  God.  The  cur- 
tain is  lifted  and  the  hand  of  God  is  seen  reaching 
out  before  this  child  is  born.  Time  was  when  the 
mere  mention  of  the  possibility  of  God's  making  his 
will  known  by  angel  or  other  miracle  was  the  occasion 
of  supercilious  scorn  in  many  educated  circles.  But 
we  have  lived  to  see  the  day  when  religious  experience 
is  considered  a  subject  worthy  of  scientific  investiga- 
tion and  belief.^  Besides,  when  cold  scientists  like 
the  late  William  James  and  Sir  Oliver  Lodge  believe 
in  the  possibility  (even  actuality)  of  communication 
with  the  dead,  one  is  surely  not  called  upon  to  assume 
an  apologetic  air  if  he  avows  his  belief  in  the  power  of 
God  to  manifest  himself  to  men.^ 

2.  The  Value  of  the  Record. — The  testimony  of 
Luke  is  sometimes  discredited  on  the  score  that  he 
alone  records  the  account  of  the  Baptist's  nativity. 
But  Luke  is  not  now  without  able  champions  among 
modern  scholars.^  "That  Luke  is  ever  at  variance 
with  other  historians  has  still  to  be  proved;  and  the 
merit  of  greater  accuracy  may  still  be  with  him,  even 
if  such  variance  exists."^  It  is  worth  noting  also 
that  the  story  of  the  Baptist's  miraculous  birth  comes 
immediately  after  the  classic  introduction^  in  which  he 

'  Of.  William  James,  "Varieties  of  Religious  Experience." 

2  This  argument  does  not,  of  course,  prove  that  God  sent  his  angel 
Gabriel  to  Zacharias.  It  leaves  the  question  to  be  examined  on  its 
merits. 

3  Cf.  Ramsay,  "  Was  Christ  Born  at  Bethlehem?",  "  Luke  the  Physician," 
"St.  Paul  the  Traveller";  Chase,  "The  Credibility  of  Acts";  and  even 
Harnack  (on  most  points),  "Luke  the  Physician,"  "The  Acts  of  the 
Apostles." 

*  Plummer,  "Commentary  on  Luke,"  p.  6. 
B  1:1-4. 


EQUIPMENT  3 

has  stated  his  painstaking  thoroughness  in  the  exami- 
nation and  use  of  his  sources  of  information.  It  is  be- 
yond controversy,  therefore,  that  Luke  had  what  he 
considered  reliable  testimony  for  what  he  here  relates 
in  so  vivid  and  captivating  a  manner.  Whether  it 
was  an  Aramaic  document  or  whether  he  learned  this 
beautiful  Kit  of  biography  from  Mary,  the  Mother  of 
Jesus  (or  from  one  of  her  circle"),  during  his  two  years' 
sojourn  with  Paul  at  Cjaesarea,^  may  never  be  known. 
But  the  whole  tone  of  Luke's  narrative  lifts  it  far 
above  the  late  apocryphal  stories  which  have  come 
down  to  us.^  "  In  any  case,  we  have  here  the  earliest 
documentary  evidence  respecting  the  origins  of  Chris- 
tianity which  has  come  down  to  us — evidence  which 
may  justly  be  called  contemporary.^  It  may  be 
added  that  the  drift  of  modern  criticism  has  been 
distinctly  toward  a  comparatively  early  date  for  the 
Gospel  of  Luke  (from  A.  D.  58-80),  so  that  the  old 
notion  of  a  late  invention  of  the  miraculous  birth  of 
John  as  being  necessary  for  one  who  was  to  be  the 
Forerunner  of  the  Messiah  falls  to  the  ground."*  Be- 
sides, the  whole  spirit  of  the  narrative  here  is  pre- 
Christian,  an  impossibility  for  a  late  inventor.  Then 
again,  the  very  language  of  this  narrative  (like  that 
of  ch.  2)  is  quite  Hebraistic  (Aramaic),  while  Luke's 

»  Acts  23-26. 

2  "To  appreciate  the  historical  sobriety  and  manifestly  primary  char- 
acter of  this  early  Jewish-Christian  source,  we  have  only  to  compare  the 
first  chapter  of  Luke  with  the  relative  sections  of  the  '  Protevangelium 
Jacobi,'  and  especially  with  those  chapters  (22-24)  which  Hatnack  calls 
the  Apocryphum  Zacharice."     Lambert,  in  "Hastings's  D.  C.  G." 

8  Plummer,  "Commentary  on  Luke,"  p.  7. 

*  Marcion  does  omit  this  section  from  his  mutilated  edition  of  Luke, 
but  he  did  so  upon  doctrinal,  not  upon  critical,  grounds.  Of.  Plummer, 
"Luke,"  p.  6. 


4  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

introduction  is  the  most  classic  bit  of  construction 
(literary  form)  in  the  New  Testament.  Luke  is  here 
"a  faithful  collector  of  evangelic  memorabilia**  which 
he  "allows  to  speak  for  itself."*  His  keen  sense  of 
historical  values  is  probably  the  very  reason  for  the 
preservation  of  this  most  important  detail  which 
escaped  the  notice  of  Mark  and  Matthew. 

But  the  narrative  is  attacked  on  its  inherent  char- 
acter, irrespective  of  its  early  date  or  documentary 
nature.  "Some  have  found  in  this  a  fabulous  ele- 
ment, modelled  upon  the  history  of  such  men  of  God 
of  Old  Testament  times  as  Isaac,  Samson,  and 
Samuel."  ^  This  objection  assumes  that  these  Old 
Testament  stories  are  without  value  because  of  the 
birth  of  children  under  unusual  conditions.^  It  is 
true  that  there  is  the  point  of  similarity  in  the  birth  of 
a  son  to  aged  parents,  but,  unless  God  is  to  be  ruled 
out  of  human  life,  the  narrative  is  not  to  be  discounted 
on  that  score.  Indeed,  Luke  seems  here  to  be  re- 
porting events  out  of  harmony  with  popular  expecta- 
tion which  is  naively  introduced  in  a  way  that  guar- 
antees the  historical  character  of  the  narrative.  The 
people  were  amazed  at  Elizabeth  for  naming  the  child 
John,  and  the  traditions  in  the  Hill  Country  confirm 
his  account.* 

Criticism  has  its  place  in  the  study  of  the  ministry 
of  the  Baptist.     The  fragmentary  accounts  must  be 

»  Bruce,  "Expositor's  Greek  Text,"  in  loco. 
'Weiss,  "The  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  234. 

•  "This  calamity  [barrenness]  is  grievous  to  all  Orientals,  and  specially 
grievous  to  Jews,  each  of  whom  is  ambitious  of  being  among  the  pro- 
genitors of  the  Messiah"  (Plummer,  p.  10). 

*  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  235. 


EQUIPMENT  5 

combined,  sifted  and  co-ordinated.*  "By  the  ordi- 
nary, uncritical  reading  of  the  New  Testament 
Scriptures,  one  gets  a  very  imperfect  and  one-sided 
view  of  John  the  Baptist."  ^  It  may  be  retorted  that 
the  uncritical  have  no  monopoly  in  the  matter  of  one- 
sided views  of  the  Baptist,  for  assuredly  the  critics  do 
not  agree  in  their  interpretation  of  him.  But  Mr. 
Bradley  lays  the  blame  for  this  state  of  affairs  on  the 
New  Testament  writers,  to  whom  John  "is  a  person 
of  secondary  importance."  "  Under  the  circumstances 
the  strange  thing  is  that  they  should  have  preserved  at 
all  some  of  the  facts  which  they  furnish  regarding 
John."  His  point  is  that  the  gospels  exalt  Jesus  at 
the  expense  of  John,  that  John  was  not  the  Fore- 
runner of  Jesus  as  "  the  gospel  writers  grew  more  and 
more  to  view  him."  Incidentally,  this  criticism  of 
Bradley  answers  those  who  claim  that  Luke  has  over- 
praised the  Baptist  in  the  birth  narrative,  but  un- 
fortunately Mr.  Bradley  has  to  pursue  processes  en- 
tirely too  subjective  to  be  convincing.  The  narrative 
of  Luke  "  is  full  of  poetry,  no  doubt,  but  it  is  the  kind 
of  poetry  which  bursts  like  a  flower  from  the  living 
stem  of  actual  truth."  ^  In  a  word,  then,  it  may  be 
said  at  once  that  minute  study  of  the  New  Testament 


1  It  is  true  that  in  a  general  way  the  material  from  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
goes  together  (Matt.  3  : 1-12;  4  :  12;  9  :  14;  11  :  2-19;  14  :  3-12;  17  :  12  f.; 
21  :  23-27,  32;  Mark  1  :  2-8,  14;  2  :  18;  6  :  17-29;  9  :  13;  11  :  27-33;  Luke 
1:5-25,  36-45,  57-80;  3:1-20:  5:33;  7:18-35;  9:9;  11:1;  16:16; 
20:1-8),  while  that  of  the  Acts  (1  :5,22;  10  :37;  11  :  16;  13:24f.;  18:25; 
19  :  3  ff.),  of  John  (1  :  6-8,  15,  19-40;  3  :  22-36;  4  :  1;  5  :  33-36;  10  :  40-42) 
and  of  Josephus  ("Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2)  is  distinct.  But  the  various  threads 
can  be  picked  up  and  pieced  into  a  whole. 

2  W.  P.  Bradley,  "John  the  Baptist  as  Forerunner,"  The  Biblical 
World,  May,  1910,  p.  327. 

« Lambert,  "  Hastings's  D.  C.  G." 


6  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

picture  of  John  gives  the  result  of  a  coherent  whole, 
a  primitive  figure,  whose  rugged  outlines  left  so  deep 
a  mark  upon  his  time  that  even  the  greatest  Figure  of 
all  time  has  not  effaced  that  impress,  even  when  he 
crept  close  beside  the  Son  of  God  and  stood  in  his 
light. 

3.  The  Home  to  Which  He  Was  to  Come. — It  is  a 
great  thing  for  any  home  when  a  child  enters  it.  He 
comes  as  a  prince,  a  fresh  gift  from  God.  No  child 
had  come  to  the  home  of  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth. 
They  had  borne  their  burden  with  silent  sorrow,  but 
with  chastened  spirits.  They  were  far  advanced  in 
their  days,  as  Luke  expresses  it  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment phrase.*  Step  by  step  they  had  together  gone, 
though  the  patter  of  no  child's  feet  was  heard  by  their 
side.  Hand  in  hand  also^  they  had  journeyed  ^ 
(were  still  journeying)  "  in  all  the  commandments  and 
ordinances  of  the  Lord."  They  had  kept  in  the  path 
all  the  way,  God^s  path,  and  so  were  righteous^  in 
the  sight  of  God.^  They  had  walked  uprightly  with 
God,  and  were  blameless®  in  the  sight  of  men.  They 
had  grown  rich  in  grace,  and  ripe  in  piety  for  the 
journey's  end.  Of  all  the  homes  in  the  Hill  Country 
there  seemed  not  one  where  a  child  would  have  fared 
better  or  been  more  welcome.  It  was  a  priestly  fam- 
ily on  both  sides.  Elizabeth  was  a  daughter  (de- 
scendant) of  Aaron,  and  Zacharias  was  still  ofl&ciat- 

1  a/u,(/)6Tepoi   TrpojSe/STjKOTe?    ev    rais    17/oie'pai?    avrtav  r)<Tav    (1  :  7).      Cf.     Gen. 

24  :  1;  Josh.  13  :  1.  The  periphrastic  past  perfect  looks  back  over  the 
long  years  before  this  time. 

2  aix<j>6TepoL  (1  :  6).  '  n-opevd/ixei/oi. 

*  Stxaioi  (from  SiKT],  SeiKVVfjit,  ShOW  the  way).  ^  ivavriov  t>eou. 

6  afiefxuToi.     It  can  be  referred  to  God's  point  of  view  also,  but  it  is  a 
stronger  word  than  SUaioL,  which  was  used  of  God's  view. 


EQUIPMENT  7 

ing  as  priest,  as  he  had  the  right  to  do.^  There  had 
been  twenty-four  classes  of  priests  since  the  days  of 
David,  and  the  course  of  Abia  was  the  eighth. ^ 
Zacharias  and  EHzabeth  are  both  in  Jerusalem,  for  it 
was  the  turn  of  Zacharias  to  serve  his  week  in  the 
temple  worship.  But  it  was  a  great  day  in  the  life 
of  Zacharias,  for  it  had  come  to  him  to  offer  incense 
on  one  of  these  days.^  There  were  possibly  twenty 
thousand  priests,  and  no  priest  was  allowed  to  burn 
incense  in  the  Holy  Place  but  once  in  his  lifetime. 
This  honor  many  priests  never  received  at  all,  but 
now  it  had  come  to  Zacharias  in  his  old  age.  The 
officiating  priest  was  allowed  to  have  two  helpers,  but 
they  retired  and  left  him  alone  in  the  Holy  Place.^ 
Luke  gives  another  touch  to  the  picture.  The  people 
kept  praying^  outside  in  the  temple  courts.^  Luke  is 
fond  of  noting  prayer.  Inside  the  Holy  Place  was 
Zacharias,  fulfilling  the  duties  of  his  great  hour, 
knowing  full  well  that  it  was  a  great  hour,  but  little, 
understanding  what  God  had  in  store  for  him.  It  is 
usually  at  just  such  a  time  and  in  such  a  spirit  that 
God  opens  his  treasures  to  us.  The  hour  of  climax 
is  in  the  path  of  duty. 

4.  The  Child's  Character  Foretold. — Zacharias  was 
alone  in  the  Holy  Place.  One  moment  he  saw  noth- 
ing unusual.  The  next  there  stood  ^  an  angel  of  the 
Lord.     He  was  face  to  face  with  the  angel.     Luke 

1  Levites  were  superannuated  at  sixty,  but  not  priests.  Cf .  Plummer, 
in  loco.  2 1  Chron.  24  :  10. 

3  lAaxe  ToC  ^vfiiairai.     The  lot  was  cast  both  morning  and  evening. 
*  Plummer,  in  loco. 

'  Jjv  irpoaevxo/Jievov.  •  to  lepov,  but  nOt  6  vads. 

1  eoTw?  (Standing). 


8  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

says  that  the  angel  "appeared"  to  him.^  It  is  the 
word  that  Paul  uses  of  the  appearance  of  Jesus  to 
him  on  the  way  to  Damascus  as  well  as  to  the  other 
disciples  before.^  It  is  worth  little  to  explain  the 
vision  away  as  a  mere  subjective  impression  due  to 
overwrought  nerves.  Curiously  enough  Zacharias,  as 
we  know,  refused  to  accept  the  message  of  the  angel, 
and  so  can  hardly  be  accused  of  having  imagined 
the  vision.  The  theory  of  a  mere  optical  illusion  is 
equally  fanciful.  The  unseen  world  hovers  nearer 
to  all  of  us  than  we  usually  understand.^  If  one  ad- 
mits the  possibility  of  the  miraculous  and  the  normal 
credibility  of  Luke,  there  is  little  ground  for  refusing 
credence  here,  unless  one  considers  the  birth  of  the 
Forerunner  an  event  unworthy  of  such  a  special  mani- 
festation of  divine  power.  One  need  not  discuss  the 
psychological  possibilities  of  the  case^  save  to  agree 
with  Plummer^  that  "the  unique  circumstances  con- 
tributed to  make  him  conscious  of  that  unseen  world 
which  is  around  all  of  us."  Zacharias  was  instantly 
thrown  into  violent  agitation^  at  the  sight  of  the 
angel  at  the  right  hand  of  the  altar  ("the  place  of 
honor"  ^)  facing  him.  "Fear  fell  upon  him"  like  a 
bolt  of  lightning.  He  was  too  much  afraid  to  speak. 
The  angel  broke  the  silence.  "Quit  being  afraid,^ 
Zacharias,"  he  said.     That  was  reassuring  and  Zach- 

1  <l(/)t>>}.  ,Cf.  Luke  22  :  43.  Punctiliar  action.  It  all  happened  in  a 
moment. 

2 1  Cor.  15  :  6  ff.  s  Of.  II  Kings  6  :  17. 

*  Cf.  Lange,  "  Life  of  Christ,"  I,  p.  264.  ^  jn  loco. 

6  erapdx^.     Effective  aorist. 

^  Plummer,  in  loco. 

8  fjLTi  <^o/3oO.  M^  with  the  pres.  imper.  usually  means  to  stop  what  one 
is  doing. 


EQUIPMENT  9 

arias  would  listen.  The  prayer^  of  Zacharias  has  been 
heard. ^  He  had  apparently  been  praying  for  offspring^ 
in  this  great  hour  of  opportunity,  his  one  great 
hour.  Plummer^  doubts  whether  Zacharias  would 
make  his  private  wishes  the  subject  of  prayer  at  such 
a  time,  and  whether  he  would  have  prayed  for  a  son 
at  his  age,  or  would  have  doubted  the  angel  after 
having  prayed  for  a  son.  But  one  can  cite  the  case 
of  the  disciples  who  disbelieved  the  answer  to  their 
prayer  about  the  release  of  Peter.^  Besides,  a  prayer 
for  a  child  is  in  harmony  with  the  Old  Testament 
atmosphere  of  this  whole  incident.  At  such  a  time 
one  is  likely  to  give  vent  to  the  deepest  longing  of  his 
heart.  Many  a  time  he  and  Elizabeth  had  prayed 
for  a  child,  and  now  he  had  once  more  uttered  what 
might  seem  an  impossible  appeal  even  to  God.  Cer- 
tainly the  birth  of  this  son  had  a  direct  bearing  on  the 
coming  of  the  Kingdom  for  which  the  people  con- 
stantly prayed.  The  angel  proceeds.  He  even  gives 
a  name  to  the  son,  the  name  John  or  Johanan.^  The 
name  was  new  to  the  family  of  Zacharias,  but  most 
suitable  to  the  circumstances.  The  first  blessing  will 
come  to  Zacharias  (and  Elizabeth).  There  will  be  to 
him  "  joy  and  exultation."  ^  The  second  word  means 
extreme  joy.  He  will  be  glad  to  have  a  son,  and 
gladder  still  to  have  such  a  son.^     But  he  will  bring 

1  5erj(Tis,  a  special  prayer  for  personal  need  (Seo/xat)  as  opposed  to  Trpoo-euxn, 
general  prayer. 

2  eio-TjKovVSrj.     A  difficult  aoiist  to  translate.     The  action  is  punctiliar 
and  is  stated  as  past,  but  it  is  just  past. 

3  So  Bruce,  in  loco.  *  In  loco.  6  Acts  12. 

'  'Iwaj/rjs.   Of.  II  Chron.  28  :  12,  etc.   It  is  an  abbreviation  of  Jehohanan, 
Jehovah's  gift. 

'  Xapd  tro*  Kat  aya\kia<nt.  8  Bruce,  in  loco. 


10  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

joy^  to  many  others  also  upon  the  occasion  of  ^  his 
birth.  The  angel  is  looking  to  the  future  work  of  the 
Forerunner.  The  love  of  the  people  for  John  will  be 
one  of  the  notable  things  in  New  Testament  times.^ 
He  shall  be  great  in  the  eye  of  the  Lord.  Great^  is 
sometimes  greater  than  the  superlative  (very  great, 
for  instance).  In  this  context  "great"  includes  also 
goodness,  for  it  is  in  the  eye  of  the  Lord.  The  praise 
of  Jesus  will  accord  with  this  high  standard.^  The 
vow  of  a  Nazirite  will  be  his,  and  for  his  whole  life, 
as  was  true  of  Samson  and  Samuel.  This  vow  was 
usually  for  a  short  while.^  All  kinds  of  intoxicating 
drinks  are  to  be  avoided.^  This  ascetic  life  will  har- 
monize with  the  wilderness,  though  Nazirites  did  not 
necessarily  dwell  apart.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  Jesus 
was  not  a  Nazirite,  and  Paul  only  on  occasion.  But 
the  most  significant  thing  about  John  is  the  promise 
that  he  will  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  from  his 
birth.  It  is  a  promise  of  the  revival  of  prophecy.  It 
had  been  some  four  hundred  years  since  the  voice 
of  prophecy  ceased  with  Malachi.  And  now  a  real 
prophet  was  to  come  again.  Thus  equipped  he  will 
turn^  many  of  the  sons  of  Israel  to  the  Lord  their 
God.  It  was  a  day  of  backsliding.  This  prophecy 
also  came  true.  The  quaintness  and  originality  of 
the  phraseology  make  it  difficult  to  think  that  this  is 
a  mere  composition  of  Luke  put  into  the  mouth  of 

1  xa-p^<TovTai.     A  durative  second  future  passive.  *  ^„i_ 

3  "The  Pharisees  did  not  dare  say  that  John  was  not  a  prophet  (Matt. 
21  :  26);  and  Herod,  until  driven  to  it,  did  not  dare  to  put  him  to  death 
(Mark  14  :  5)"  (Piummer). 

*  /Lteyas  in  absolute  sense. 

5  Luke  7  :  28.  «  Acts  18  :  18.  ">  olvov  «coi  <ri»cepa. 

8  eTTto-Tpe'i/zei  durative  future,  repetition  with  ttoXAovs. 


EQUIPMENT  11 

the  angel.  He  shall  go  before  the  Lord  ^  in  his  office 
as  prophet.  The  word  "him''  could  refer  to  the 
Messiah  only  by  supposing  something  else  said  by 
the  angel  not  here  recorded.  But,  still,  the  idea 
doubtless  is  that  God  "comes  to  his  people  in  the 
person  of  the  Messiah''  (Plummer).  John's  work 
will  be  "  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah."  He  will 
not  be  Elijah  himself,  as  some  of  the  Jews  expected 
and  as  John  denied.^  But  he  will  be  the  real  fulfil- 
ment of  the  return  of  Elijah  as  Jesus  will  himself 
show.^  He  will  reproduce  this  great  prophet's  work, 
though  he  will  work  no  miracles.  It  will  be  like  the 
days  of  old.  This  second  coming  of  Elijah  will  in- 
troduce the  days  of  the  Messiah.  No  wonder  that  he 
will  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  their  children 
when  such  a  child  as  this  has  come.  Parental  affec- 
tion had  sadly  languished  and  the  child  had  lost  its 
place  with  many.^  The  word  "  turn  "  ^  is  conversion, 
the  idea  in  John's  word  "repent."  He  will  make 
ready  a  prepared  people^  for  the  Lord,  yes,  and  for 
his  Messiah.  It  was  a  wonderful  picture.  Every 
word  was  pregnant  with  meaning.  And  these  words 
came  pouring  into  the  ears  and  heart  of  Zacharias. 
Could  they  be  true?  Were  they  not  too  marvellous 
to  be  true? 

5.   The  Scepticism  of  Zacharias. — The  demand  upon 
Zacharias's  faith  was  too  great.     He  had  not  dared  to 

>  evoiTrioi/  avroC.     Cf.  Isa.  40  : 1-11;   Mai.  3  : 1-5. 

2  John  1  :  21. 

3  Matt.  17  :  12;    Mark  9  :  12.     The  great  prophets  in  the  minds  of  the 
Jews  were  Elijah,  Jeremiah,  Daniel. 

*  Cf.  Sirach  xlviii;   Isa.  63  :  16;   Matt.  19  :  13. 

5  eiTLarpexfiai.     It  was  the  common  word  with  the  prophets. 

*  Kabv  napeaicevaatJievoy. 


12  JOHN  THE   LOYAL 

ask  for  such  a  child,  perhaps  had  not  felt  worthy  of 
such  a  son.  Indeed,  if  truth  be  told,  he  may  not  have 
really  believed  that  he  would  be  given  a  child  at  all  in 
spite  of  his  petition  for  one.  It  was  a  natural  reac- 
tion, when  the  angel  ceased  his  wondrous  story,  for 
Zacharias  to  ask:  "Whereby  shall  I  know  this?"* 
He  does  not  squarely  deny  the  possibility  of  such  an 
event,  though  he  sees  at  once  the  obvious  difficulty  of 
such  a  hope  in  view  of  the  old  age  of  himself  and 
Elizabeth.  Perhaps  the  angel  had  overlooked  this 
point.  At  any  rate  it  will  do  no  harm  to  ask  for  proof .^ 
Zacharias  could  excuse  himself  by  the  example  of 
Gideon  and  Hezekiah,  who  asked  for  signs,^  and  by 
that  of  Moses  and  Ahaz,  who  had  signs  without 
asking."*  At  such  moments  one's  mind  works  rap- 
idly, but  not  always  correctly.  One  naturally  recoils 
when  his  "day-dream  is  objectified."^  The  case  of 
Martha  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus  is  in  point.^  But, 
after  all,  however  specious  and  excusable,  it  was 
doubt  of  the  angel's  word,  of  the  message  of  God, 
and  doubt  in  spite  of  the  miraculous  presence  of  the 
angel,  itself  proof  enough  if  any  was  needed.  The 
beautiful  faith  of  Mary  stands  out  in  sharp  contrast 
to  the  doubt  of  Zacharias.^  The  angel  feels  called 
upon  to  justify  himself.  He  tells  who  he  is.^  We 
know  the  names  of  two  angels  in  Scripture,  Gabriel,^ 

1  Luke  1 :  18. 

2  Kara  ti  yvio<TOfiai  tovto.    His  question  asks  for  a  sign  by  which  to  gauge 
(Kara)  the  promise. 

3  Judges  6  :  36-39;  II  Kings  20  : 8. 

<  Ex.  4  :  2-6;  Isa.  7  :  11.     Of.  Pluramer,  p.  16. 
6  Bruce,  in  loco.  «  John  11  :  27,  39  f.  •  Luke  1  :  38. 

8  "Gabriel  answers  his  eyti  ei/nt  with  another"  (Plumraer). 
"Dan.  8  :  16;   10:21. 


EQUIPMENT  13 

"the  Man  of  God,"  "the  angel  of  mercy,"  and 
Michael  *  (who  is  like  God  ?),  "  the  angel  of  judg- 
ment," the  opponent  of  Satan.  Gabriel  was  appar- 
ently chief  of  the  angels  sent  on  errands  concerning 
man's  redemption.^  He  stands  in  the  presence  of 
God  always  ready.^  It  was  a  high  place  to  fill.  He 
had  been  sent^  to  speak  to  Zacharias,  and  it  was 
good  tidings^  that  he  had  brought.  It  was  a  sharp 
rejoinder.  Zacharias  had  disbelieved  an  angel  and  a 
special  messenger  to  him.  The  proof  that  Zacharias 
asked  for  will  be  given  and  in  a  form  to  leave  no  room 
for  doubt  on  his  part.  It  will  come  in  his  very  per- 
son and  will  be  in  the  nature  of  a  punishment  for  this 
doubt.  He  had  used  his  tongue  to  speak  his  doubt, 
and  now  his  tongue  will  be  silent®  till  the  fulfilment 
of  the  prophecy.  It  is  put  positively  and  negatively^ 
for  emphasis.  The  angel  does  not  leave  Zacharias 
to  interpret  the  reason  for  this  kind  of  proof.  His 
words  will  be  fulfilled  to  the  letter^  in  due  time.^ 
The  dumbness  began  at  once,  and  Zacharias  was 
not  allowed  a  reply.  Meanwhile  considerable  time 
had  been  consumed.    According  to  the  Talmud  the 

»Dan.  10:13,  21:  12:1:  Jude  9;  Rev.  12:7.  In  the  later  Jewish 
books  other  names  are  given  and  different  ideas  of  these  two  occur.  Of. 
Plummer. 

2  Cf.  Heb.  1  :  14,  anoaTeWofieva. 

3  Trapeo-TTjKws.     Note  wapd  by  the  side  of. 

?  aneara^-qv.     Sent  from  God  himself.     Cf .  Heb.  1  :  14. 
5  evayyeAiVao-iJat.     The  first  use  of  "  gospel "  {evayye\iov)  in  Connection 
with  the  mission  of  John  or  Jesus. 

^  Kal  iSov  eaj]  <7KDira>v  Koi  /u.tj  Sovdfievog  XaKrjcrat,.      The   i5oiJ  solemnly  CallS 

attention  to  his  penalty,  'Eo-j7  a-ttanoiv  is  durative  future  made  plain  by  the 
periphrastic  form. 

^  Cf.  Acts  13  : 1 1,  eo-n  TVif>\bi  (j.ri  p\enuv.  Bruce,  in  loco,  thinks  the  dumb- 
ness was  "  the  almost  natural  effect  of  his  state  of  mind — a  kind  of  pro- 
longed stupefaction." 

8  oiTives,  not  01.  '  Kaipov,  not  xp6vo<;. 


14  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

priests  were  expected  to  return  soon  to  prevent 
anxiety.^  The  fear  of  harm  to  Zacharias  was  natural 
in  the  Levitical  religion,  which  viewed  God  as  far 
from  man.^  The  people  were  in  a  state  of  eager 
expectancy^  and  were  already  wondering^  at  the  con- 
tinued delay^  of  Zacharias  in  the  temple.  He  finally 
came  out,  but  he  could  not  say  a  word,  not  even 
pronounce  the  benediction,  as  was  the  custom.®  He 
probably  made  signs  so  that  they  preceived^  that  he 
had  seen^  a  vision  in  the  temple.  It  is  not  made  clear 
how  they  knew  so  well  that  he  had  seen  a  vision. 
Besides  his  signs  and  the  dumbness  there  was  prob- 
ably a  look  of  rapture  on  his  face.  Zacharias  was 
manifestly  in  a  state  of  keen  excitement,  for  he  kept 
on  making  signs  (nods)^  and  remained  ^'^  dumb.  After 
his  week's  service"  was  over,  Zacharias  went  back  to 
his  home  in  the  Hill  Country  of  Judea.^^  He  went  a 
humbler,  but  a  wiser  man,  full  of  thoughts  of  w^hat  he 
had  heard  and  felt.  We  do  not  know  the  location 
of  this  home.  Hebron  has  been  claimed  by  some,^^ 
others  urge  Juttah  (also  a  priestly  town),"  others  still, 

1  Plummer. 

2  Bruce.     Cf.  Wunsche,  "Beitrage,"  p.  413;  Lev.  16  :  13. 

3  riv  npoffSoniop.  A  Strong  word  (cf.  Luke  3  :  15)  and  note  periphrastic 
form. 

4  e^avfia^ov,  descriptive  imperfect  (slightly  inchoative). 
6  xpovifeiv,  durative  present,  e  Num.  6  :  24-26. 

'  ineyvuiaav.     Note  ctti  and  see  Acts  3  :  10;  4  :  13. 

8  ecopoKei/,  vivid  historical  present  perfect  retained  in  indirect  discourse. 

^  riv  Si.av€v<ov.     Periphrastic  imperfect  again. 

"  5ie>€vef.     Both  imperfect  tense  and  Std.  accent  the  durative  idea. 

"  \etTovpyia  (Ae'w?  equals  Aaos,  ep-yov)  was  work  for  the  people,  public  ser- 
vice. In  Greece  it  was  often  public  work  rendered  by  a  citizen  at  his  own 
expense.  In  Egypt,  as  the  papyri  show  (Deissmann,  "  Bible  Studies," 
pp.  140  f.),  it  was  used  in  a  ceremonial  sense  of  the  work  of  the  priests 
in  the  temples.     Thus  it  came  to  the  Septuagint  and  the  New  Testament. 

»2  Luke  1  :  39.  "Qthon,  "Lex.  Rabbin.,"  324. 

»<Josh.  15:  55;  21:  16. 


EQUIPMENT  15 

Ai7i  Karin,^  or,  yet  again,  Mar  Zakarya?  We  only 
know  that  at  some  town  in  the  southern  hills  Zacharias 
had  his  home.^ 

6.  The  Joy  of  Elizabeth. — It  was  a  great  day  for 
Elizabeth  when  she  discovered  that,  old  as  she  was, 
she  was  indeed  to  be  a  mother.  Zacharias  had,  of 
course,  written  out  for  her  the  promise  of  the  angel, 
though  Luke  does  not  say  so.  The  motive  of  Eliza- 
beth in  so  completely^  hiding  herself  ^  is  not  told, 
nor  can  we  clearly  conjecture.  It  is  possible  that  her 
statements  were  at  first  met  with  ridicule  by  her 
friends,  or  the  solemn  dignity  of  the  event  may  have 
called  for  seclusion,  or,  indeed,  it  may  have  been  just 
to  avoid  talk.  But  she  had  exultant  joy.  "Thus 
hath  the  Lord  done^  unto  me  in  the  days  wherein  he 
looked  upon^  me,  to  take  away  my  reproach  among 
men."  ^  She  can  now  lift  up  her  head.  And  yet 
for  a  long  time  she  hides  her  head.  Her  cup  was  so 
full  that  she  must  be  alone  with  God.  This  attitude 
of  exalted  joy  continues  with  Elizabeth.  Much  is 
written  these  days  about  the  science  of  eugenics,  but 
at  least  this  is  true.  A  child  is  entitled  to  a  joyful 
welcome  by  both  mother  and  father.     Much  in  the 

'  Didon,  "Life  of  Christ,"  Appendix  D. 

2  Cheyne  ("Encycl.  Bibl.")  mentions  this  as  the  traditional  place  of 
John's  birth,  but  does  not  accept  it. 

3  Smith  ("  In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  25)  agrees  with  Caspari  that  it 
was  probably  Khirbet-el-Jehud,  near  Ain  Karin. 

*  nepi..  It  is  a  voluntary  silence  with  her,  not  enforced  as  with  Zacha- 
rias. 

5  irepLeKpvPev  iavTrjv.  Reflexive  expressed  rather  than  the  somewhat 
rare  direct  middle.  It  is  not  certain  whether  irepteKpvPfv  is  a  late  second 
aorist  (constative)  or  a  late  imperfect  (so  durative). 

6  nenoLTjicev.     Present  perfect  to  accent  permanence  of  the  blessing. 

7  enelSev  aorist  (SO  puuctiliar)  sums  up  God's  mercy. 

8  Luke  1  :  25. 


16  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

child's  life  depends  on  the  welcome  in  the  home.  It 
was  to  be  this  child's  privilege  to  enter  an  atmosphere 
of  deep  religious  fervor,  of  genuine  spiritual  life. 
That  fact  will  have  its  influence  on  his  life,  for  he 
will  one  day  confront  and  condemn  the  mere  formal 
religiosity  of  the  time. 

7.  Fellowship  with  Mary. — The  same  angel  who 
had  brought  the  wonderful  news  to  Zacharias  re- 
vealed to  Mary  her  exalted  destiny.  Mary  asked  for 
no  sign,  but  one  was  granted  her,  a  gracious  one 
without  a  penalty.^  The  sign  was  what  had  already 
happened  to  her  kinswoman,^  Elizabeth.  Mary  was 
prompt  to  go  and  receive  her  proof  from  Elizabeth. 
It  was  a  hallowed  meeting  between  these  two  chosen 
women,  the  sacred  privacy  of  which  we  must  not 
roughly  disturb.  But  Luke  mentions  several  details. 
One  is  the  fact  that  the  babe  responded  to  the  saluta- 
tion of  Mary  with  a  leap.^  Another  is  the  inspiration 
of  Elizabeth.  Mary  apparently  had  told  Elizabeth 
nothing  of  what  Gabriel  had  told  her.  She  inter- 
preted* the  babe's  leaping  to  mean  that  the  mother 
of  the  Messiah  stood  before  her,^  with  all  a  mother's 
sympathy  and  the  high  ecstasy  of  the  Holy  Spirit's 
enlightenment.  In  reality,  her  outcry  in  so  loud^  a 
voice  was  a  rhapsody  of  intense  emotion.  But  it  was 
a  sober  and  clear  insight,  though  on  so  high  a  plane. 

>  Plummer,  in  loco. 

^ (Tvyyevi^.  Not  necessarily  "cousin"  nor  proof  that  Mary  belonged 
to  the  tribe  of  Levi  rather  than  that  of  Judah.  Levites  could  marry 
with  other  tribes. 

3  eo-KipTTjcrev.  Of.  Gen.  25  :  22;  Ps.  113  : 4,  6.  Probably  felt  by  Luke  to 
be  the  first  instinctive  greeting  of  the  coming  Messiah  by  the  Forerunner. 

?  Luke  1 :  43  f.  s  Bruce,  in  loco. 

*  ave<}>u>vria-ep  Kpavyfj  fxeyd^r].      Cf.   ActS  26  :  24. 


EQUIPMENT  17 

Elizabeth  counted  it  a  great  honor  to  have  received 
this  visit  from  "  the  mother  of  my  Lord."  ^  This 
song  of  Ehzabeth  (with  Hebrew  parallelism)  is  the 
first  of  the  New  Testament  hymns.  It  is  also  the  first 
beatitude  in  the  New  Testament  and  a  double  one, 
though  different  Greek  words^  occur  in  verses  42 
and  45,  which  are  translated  "blessed."  The  one 
accents  the  idea  of  credit  as  blessed,  the  other  (cf. 
beatitudes  of  Jesus)  the  notion  of  inherent  happiness. 
Both  were  true  of  Mary.  Elizabeth  now  knows  the 
story  of  Mary's  happiness,  whether  by  inspiration  or 
from  Mary.  She  felicitates  Mary  on  her  faith,^  per- 
haps with  memories  of  the  doubt  of  Zacharias,  and 
on  the  certainty  of  fulfilment^  for  her.  The  souls  of 
the  two  saintly  women  are  now  strung  to  a  high  note 
of  adoration  and  praise.  Mary  answers  with  her 
wonderful  "  Magnificat,"  ^  which  it  is  not  my  province 
here  to  explain.  On  the  return  of  Mary  to  Nazareth 
the  three  months  soon  sped  by.  The  birth  of  a  son 
to  Elizabeth  created  a  great  stir  among  all  the  neigh- 
bors^ and  kinsfolk.^  They  acknowledged  that  God 
had  "magnified"'  Elizabeth  (a  "Magnificat"  for  her 
also).     They  kept  a  season  of  rejoicing  with  her,^  the 

1  Kvpiov  here  not  in  sense  of  courtesy,  but  in  the  Old  Testament  sense 
equals  Lord  Messiah  (Ps.  110  : 1).  She  thus  grasps  the  deity  and  humanity 
of  Jesus.  Cf.  Christ's  use  of  this  Psalm  in  Matt.  22  :  42  ff.  The  phrase 
"  Mother  of  God"  is  not  in  the  New  Testament.  Cf.  Plummer,  in  loco,  vs. 
Didon,  "Vie  de  J6sus,"  p.  111. 

2  eirAoYrjjLtej/ij  (perfect  passive  participle)  and  naKapia  Cf.  Deut.  28  :  4; 
Matt.  5  :  3  ff. 

'  17  TTto-Teuo-acra,     Attributive  participle  expressing  antecedent  action. 

*  TeAetwo-is. 

fi  Meyakvvei..     A  few  critics  wrongly  refer  this  song  also  to  Elizabeth. 
«  nepioLKOL  equals  dwellers  around  the  house. 

f  a-vyyevelis,  the  USUal  WOrd,  not  the  late  a-vyyeviSe^. 
'  ifxeyakwev. 

9  o-uj/exatpof.     Imperfect  (so  durative). 


18  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

first  fulfilment  of  GabrieFs  prophecy  about  John.*  It 
was  more  than  mere  congratulation.  It  is  with  sim- 
ple dignity  and  charm  that  Luke  has  thus  portrayed 
the  birth  of  the  Baptist. 

8.  The  New  Name  in  the  Family, — The  Jewish 
law  about  circumcision^  was  ceremoniously  observed.^ 
The  friends'*  who  had  come  for  the  ceremony  wished 
to  name  the  child  also  as  a  part,  in  fact,  of  the  cer- 
emony.^ To  name  him  Zacharias  was  surely  most 
appropriate  and  common.®  So  they  began^  calling 
the  boy  Zacharias,  and  thought  that  the  ceremony 
was  over.  But  there  was  a  sudden  interruption^ 
on  the  part  of  Elizabeth.  Zacharias  had  probably 
written  on  a  tablet  that  the  child's  name  was  to  be 
John.  But  the  friends  would  not  surrender  their 
point  without  protest.^  They  even  appealed  earnestly 
by  nods  and  signs*^  to  Zacharias  to  get  his  wish  in 
the  hope  that  he  would  take  their  side  in  the  matter 
against  Elizabeth.  It  is  curious  the  keen  zest  that 
people  have  in  all  that  concerns  a  baby.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  Zacharias  was  deaf  as  well  as  dumb,  as  is 
often  the  case,"  or  they  may  have  wished  to  spare  the 
feelings*^  of  Elizabeth  by  so  doing.  At  any  rate, 
Zacharias  understood  the  signs,  if  he  had  not  already 
overheard  the  conversation,  and  asked  for  a  tablet/^ 
He  asked,  of  course,  by  signs.     He  wrote  :  "  John  is 

1  Cf.  Luke  1:14.  2  cf.  Ex.  4  :  25.  ^  Luke  1  :  59. 

*  Note  ^Adav  pluraL  ^  Plummer,  in  loco, 

6  Josephus,  "Ant.,"  xiv,  1,  3. 

7  exaAoui'.     Inchoative-conative  imperfect.     Cf.  Matt.  3  :  14. 

8  ovxi,  aWa.  ^  Luke  1  :  61. 

>"  evev^vov.     Iterative  imperfect.     Cf.  J^v  hiaveviav  (1  :  22). 

"  Koi^6<;  (1  :  22)  can  mean  this.  12  Meyer,  inloco. 

"  7rii/aKi'6ioi/  equals  a  little  tablet  covered  with  wax. 


EQUIPMENT  19 

his  name."  ^  That  settled  it.  But  the  friends  won- 
dered at  this  strange  agreement  between  husband  and 
wife  on  the  new  name.  They  took  it  as  an  omen  of 
something,  but  did  not  know  what.  But  a  real  marvel 
came  now,  for  the  mouth  of  Zacharias  was  instandy 
opened  and  he  began^  to  speak.  Now  he  blessed 
God.  No  more  had  he  doubt.  But  it  was  too  much 
for  the  crowd  of  neighbors,  who  were  filled  with  fear, 
a  touch  of  reality  that  bears  on  the  genuineness  of  the 
story.^  So  Zacharias  had  felt  when  the  angel  appeared 
to  him.*  It  was  awe.  But  other  tongues  were  loosed 
besides  that  of  Zacharias.^  The  talk  went  on^  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Hill  Country. 
Others,  the  more  thoughtful  and  spiritual,  laid  it 
all  deep  in  their  hearts  with  the  query,  "What  then^ 
will  this  child  be  ?  '*  No  one  could  answer  that  ques- 
tion. With  all  the  talk  there  was  the  hush  of  mystery 
and  reverence.  Luke  adds  his  own  interpretation,^ 
which  was  in  harmony  with  the  deeper  conviction  of 
the  people  in  the  Hill  Country.  But  he  introduces  it 
as  an  additional  ®  point  of  view,  more  in  accord  with 
the  real  facts,  for  Luke  had  the  benefit  of  the  later 
developments.  The  expression,  "the  hand  of  the 
Lord,"  is  indeed  peculiar  to  Luke^^  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, but  it  is  common  in  the  Old  Testament."     No 


1  Thus  the  Greek  order  in  Luke  1  :  63. 

2  eAaXei.     Inchoative  imperfect. 

3  Plummer,  in  loco.  •»  Luke  1:12.  »  A  zeugma  in  1 :  64. 
«  hieXaXelTo.     Imperfect  (descriptive  durative). 

'  apa.     In  view  of  all  that  had  happened. 

8  A  habit  of  Luke  it  is  to  add  such  comments.     Cf.  2  :  50;  3  :  15;  7  :  39, 
etc.  ®  KoX  yap, 

10  Acts  4:28,  30;    11  :21;   13:11. 
"  Cf.  Ex.  7  : 4,  5;  II  Kings  3  :  15;  Ezra  7  :  6,  etc. 


20  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

other  explanation  is  possible  to-day  as  one  faces  all 
the  facts  preserved  concerning  John  the  Baptist. 
The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  not  merely  upon^  him,  but 
with^  him,  with  him  all  the  way  to  the  very  end,  with 
him  from  the  very  beginning,  as  Luke  has  now  made 
clear.  One  does  not  depreciate  human  freedom  in 
recognizing  this  to  be  true,  nor  is  it  unscientific.  If 
men  to-day  take  a  hand  in  the  breeding  of  finer  kinds 
of  animals,  it  is  surely  not  impossible  for  (least  of  all, 
unworthy  of)  God  to  place  his  hand  beside  the  life  of 
the  child  who  is  to  be  the  Herald  of  God's  own  Son. 
The  highest  blessing  possible  for  any  child  is  to  re- 
ceive in  a  real,  if  in  a  lesser,  sense  the  blessing  of 
God's  hand  in  his  life. 

9.  The  Insight  of  Zacharias. — The  prophecy^  of 
Zacharias  was  probably  spoken  at  the  time  that  his 
tongue  was  loosed.  The  first  word  "Blessed"  seems 
to  take  up  the  "blessing"  of  verse  64.  Luke  has  fin- 
ished his  picture  of  the  effect  of  that  wonder,  and  now 
resumes  the  narrative  of  the  song  of  Zacharias  ('*  Bene- 
dictus").  The  day  of  prophecy  has  come  back  and 
Zacharias,  like  Elizabeth  and  Mary,  is  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit.  He  was  probably  not  himself  a  very 
learned  priest.^  Moreover,  the  rabbi,  not  the  priest, 
was  now  the  leading  figure  in  the  public  eye.^  As  a 
"common  priest"  from  the  hills  he  was  not  one  from 
whom  to  expect  a  lofty  or  learned  exposition  of  high 

1  eni.  ^  /lera.  '  e7rpo(f)^Tev<rev. 

<  Edersheim  ("Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,"  vol.  I,  p.  141), 
says  he  would  have  been  called  an  iSiwrij?  (cf.  iSiirat  about  Peter  and 
John  in  Acts  4  :  13)  priest,  an  amha-retz,  a  "rustic"  priest,  to  be  treated 
with  benevolent  contempt. 

6  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  1877,  vol.  I.  p.  87. 


EQUIPMENT  21 

themes,  that  is,  not  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
learned  priests  and  rabbis.  Under  Agrippa  II  "la- 
dies bought  the  high-priesthood  for  their  husbands 
for  so  much  money,"  ^  and  the  priests,  as  a  whole, 
were  a  sort  of  national  religious  aristocracy.  But 
God  has  often  passed  by  the  high  and  the  mighty 
when  he  had  a  gift  to  bestow.  He  seeks  out  the  choice 
spirits,  those  who  have  an  ear  open  to  his  voice.  They 
are  often  found  in  the  Hill  Country.  It  was  necessary 
for  God  to  reveal  his  purpose  through  prophecy  in 
order  "  to  revive,  primarily  in  the  small  circles  of .  the 
pious  in  Israel,  the  long-sunk  Messianic  hopes  of  the 
people."  ^  The  New  Testament  era  has  thus  opened 
some  time,  probably,  in  the  year  6  B.  C,  with  no  blare 
of  trumpets,  but  with  the  definite  outreach  of  God's 
hand.  In  the  midst  of  the  prevalent  coldness  and 
formalism,  not  to  say  corruption,  there  were  found 
some  who  would,  and  did,  respond  to  the  moving  of 
God's  Spirit.  Zacharias  was  not,  probably,  a  great 
man  in  native  gifts,  though  he  was  to  have  a  really 
great  son.  The  springs  of  greatness  or  genius  are 
hidden  to  mortal  eye,  and  do  not  follow  laws  of 
heredity  that  have  been  as  yet  traced.  Nature  prac- 
tises leaps  as  well  as  sports.  But  Zacharias  was  just 
and  pious  and  familiar  with  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies.  "As  the  *  Magnificat'  is  modelled  on  the 
Psalms,  so  the  *  Benedictus '  is  modelled  on  the  proph- 
ecies, and  it  has  been  called  *the  last  prophecy  of 

1  Ibid.,  p.  89. 

2  Weiss,  "The  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  140.  "These  prophecies  in  the 
circle  of  the  pious,  in  the  Hill  Country  of  Judea,  greet  the  first  morning  red 
of  the  new  time  of  salvation,  which  is  already  dawning  full  of  hope" 
{ibid.,  pp.  245  f.). 


22  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  Old  Dispensation,  and  the  first  in  the  New.' 
And  while  the  tone  of  the  'Magnificat'  is  regal,  that  of 
the  *Benedictus'  is  sacerdotal.  The  one  is  as  appro- 
priate to  the  daughter  of  David  as  the  other  is  to  the 
son  of  Aaron."  ^  That  is  clearly  shown  by  parallel 
columns  which  reveal  the  kinship  to  the  language  of 
the  Old  Testament.^  During  the  months  of  silent 
waiting  one  can  well  imagine  that  Zacharias  had 
turned  often  to  the  rolls  of  Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Jeremiah, 
Malachi,  the  Psalms,  to  see  what,  after  all,  the  Old 
Testament  did  say  concerning  the  Messiah  and  the 
Forerunner.  The  text  of  Westcott  and  Hort  divides 
the  song  of  Zacharias  into  five  strophes  (68  f.,  70-72, 
73-75,  76  f.,  78  f.).^  But  there  is  a  manifest  cleavage 
of  the  poem  at  verse  76  which  breaks'*  it  into  two 
parts.  The  first  part  (68-75)  is  an  exclamation  of 
praise  to  God  for  his  goodness  in  the  wonderful  birth 
of  the  child.  The  second  part  (76-79)  is  an  address 
to  the  child  concerning  his  career  in  the  kingdom. 
In  the  one  he  describes  the  work  of  the  Messiah,  in 
the  other  that  of  John.^  "Zacharias  sees  in  his  son 
the  earnest  and  guarantee  of  the  deliverance  of 
Israel."  ^  The  words  are  so  rich  in  meaning  that 
they  command  discussion.  The  three  strophes  of 
70-75  set  forth  in  exultant  strain  that  the  blessing  of 
redemption  through  David  has  come  true  at  last 
(68  f.),  that  God  has  remembered  his  holy  covenant  of 
old  (70-72),  that  God  has  kept  his  oath  with  Abraham 

1  Plummer,  p.  39.  2  cf.  Plummer,  p.  39. 

3  Plummer,  pp.  39  f.  *  koL  av  fie,  natSiov. 

6  Godet,  "Commentary  on  Luke,"  p.  69. 
•  Plummer,  p.  40. 


EQUIPMENT  23 

(73-75).  The  second  part  has  two  strophes;  one 
shows  John  as  the  Forerunner  and  the  preacher  of 
forgiveness  (76  f.),  the  other  explains  that  the  new 
light  will  go  even  to  those  who  sit  in  darkness  and  the 
shadow  of  death  (78  f.).  Most  of  the  phraseology  is 
found  in  the  Septuagint,  but  it  is  not  a  mere  chain  of 
quotations.  They  are  welded  into  a  real  unity  of 
thought,  and  give  a  masterful  and  poetic  interpreta- 
tion of  the  dealings  of  God  with  Israel.  The  past 
finds  its  real  justification  in  the  present.  It  was  for 
this  that  God  was  patient  and  never  gave  up  this  re- 
bellious people.  The  promise  is  now  reality.  The 
birth  of  John  is  a  guarantee  of  that  of  the  Messiah.^ 
God  has  visited,^  God  will  visit.^  It  was  surely  time 
for  God  to  come  again  after  so  many  centuries  of 
silence.  Zacharias  seems  to  have  some  conception  of 
the  incarnation/  though  "  redemption,"  ^  in  his  mind, 
may  have  included  political  salvation^  as  well  as  the 
deeper  and  antecedent  spiritual  and  moral  elements 
of  personal  renewal.^  The  popular  notion  of  the 
Messianic  kingdom  had  sunk  to  the  level  of  a  mere 
political  conquest  and  deliverance.  The  heel  of 
Rome  pressed  hard  upon  the  neck  of  the  patriotic 
Jew.  But  that  is  a  subordinate  idea  with  Zacharias. 
The  "Moses  of  salvation"  who  is  to  come  through 
the  house  of  David  is  the  Messiah  soon  to  be  born 

» In  70-75  the  aorist  indicative  occurs;  in  76-79  the  future  indicative. 

*  eneaKexf/aro.     PunctUiar,  but  SO  recent  that  we  have  to  say  "has." 

» iiTLa-Ki^erai  (N  BL).  Future,  but  certain.  The  word  is  not  unlike 
"visit,"  from  video,  and  suggests  "the  familiarity  of  a  friend  and  the 
tenderness  of  a  physician"  (Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  112). 

*  Godet,  p.  69. 

*  AvTpwo-iv  from  \vrpov  (ransom)  1  :  68. 

*  ai^ripiay  e$  ex^p^v  n/«*«»'  (1  =  71).  ^  1 :  75,  77.     Cf.  Plummer, 


24  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  Mary.  Abraham  and  the  prophets  are  at  last 
justified.  Freedom  from  oppression  will  give  the 
privilege  of  service  to  God  in  holiness  and  righteous- 
ness. With  the  eye  of  faith  Zacharias  now  sees  it  all 
as  a  reality.  He  turns  to  the  child.  He  will  walk 
before  Jehovah  to  make  ready^  his  ways.  He  will 
bring  knowledge  of  salvation  which  is  found  in  for- 
giveness of  sins.^  John  will  lay  chief  stress  on  the 
spiritual  elements.  He  concludes  w^ith  a  graphic 
picture  of  night  in  the  desert  as  of  a  lost  caravan. 
Jews^  as  well  as  Gentiles  sit  in  darkness,  and  the 
shadow  of  death  which  has  settled  like  a  pall  over  all 
the  world.  But,  because  of  God's  mercy,  "the  day- 
spring^  from  on  high"  will  shine  like  a  bright  star  in 
the  darkness  "to  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of 
peace."  ^  It  is  a  noble  utterance.  With  it  the  voice 
of  Zacharias  is  heard  no  more,  and  he  drops  back  into 
the  routine  of  his  simple  life  in  the  hills.  But  his 
heart  is  on  the  boy  and  he  looks  wistfully  into  his  eyes 
and  into  the  future.  Was  it,  after  all,  only  a  mirage 
of  the  desert  ? 

10.  The  Hidden  Years  in  the  Hills. — "  And  the  child 
grew  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit."  ®  Luke  with  these 
words  draws  a  veil  over  the  life  in  the  home  of  the 
young  John.     The  child  grew  and  grew,  a  joy  to 


1  cToijuao-at.     Of.  Luke  3  :  4.     John  will  quote  the  same  word. 

2  The  first  mention  of  "remission  of  sins"  in  the  gospels  (Plummer,  p. 

43).  3  i7M'as,  r]ti<iv. 

*  avaToX-q.     Cf.  Isa.  9  :  2  for  the  image. 

*  Luke  1  :  79.  Peace  was  the  word  borne  by  the  heavenly  host  on  the 
birth  of  Jesus  (Luke  2  :  14).  Alas,  how  slow  the  world  is  to  walk  in  this 
way! 

6  Luke  1:80.  rjw^ave.  Imperfect  (so  durative  descriptive).  Likewise 
with  eKparatouTO. 


EQUIPIMENT  25 

his  parents,  whose  strength  inevitably  was  rapidly 
going  with  their  advanced  years.  He  kept  on  gain- 
ing strength  with  his  years.  It  was  strength  of  spirit, 
not  merely  that  of  body.  Dr.  John  A.  Broadus,  as 
long  ago  as  1874,  made  a  few  brief  notes  toward  a  life 
of  the  Baptist.  Alas!  that  the  busy  years  found  no 
place  for  the  completion  of  that  congenial  task.  I 
quote  a  few  sentences  at  this  point.  *^Not  simply 
strong  in  body,  in  mind,  in  passions,  but  in  will — and 
this  not  in  self-will,  but  as  a  self-ruling  will,  strong  in 
self-restraint  and  self-impulse.  A  fearless,  resolute, 
determined,  persevering,  unconquerable  character. 
But  does  it  not  also  include  what  we  call  distinctively 
spiritual  strength — strong  faith  in  the  unseen  and 
eternal,  strong  desire  and  purpose  to  lead  a  holy  and 
useful  life?"  It  was  then  the  normal  life  of  a  child 
in  a  small  town  in  the  hills;  he  will  soon  be  much  out- 
of-doors.  One  is  at  liberty  to  imagine  the  talk  be- 
tween Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  as  some  new  develop- 
ment in  the  boy  gave  fresh  confirmation  to  the  words 
of  Gabriel  or  of  Zacharias.  It  was  just  as  God  had 
said.  We  do  not  know  how"  soon  the  old  couple  died, 
but  it  is  hardly  stretching  the  probabilities  to  suppose 
that  they  lived  long  enough  to  create  in  John,  or  rather 
cultivate  what  was  inborn  in  him,  a  love  for  the  Old 
Testament  and  its  great  stories  of  mighty  men  and  its 
unfolding  of  a  matchless  future  for  Israel  if  Israel 
were  only  faithful  unto  God.  Elizabeth  could  tell  of 
Abraham  almost  in  the  very  neighborhood  of  the 
cave    of   Machpelah.^     And    Zacharias    could    show 

1  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  116. 


26  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

many  of  the  places  where  David  used  to  hide  from 
Saul  in  this  den  or  in  that.  Not  far  away  was  Bethle- 
hem where  he  had  tended  his  father^s  sheep.  Here 
was  a  comb  of  wild  honey  such  as  David  had  sought. 
There  is  nothing  more  fascinating  than  a  boy's  grow- 
ing appreciation  of  his  world  as  it  unfolds  around  him. 
I  quote  a  few  sentences  from  Dr.  Broadus's  notes  on 
John  already  mentioned:  "He  was  a  child  of  the 
mountains.  Whenever  education  and  religion  take 
hold  in  a  mountain  region,  the  result  is  great  strength 
of  character.  The  only  son  of  a  priest  was  likely  to 
be  carefully  educated,  all  the  more  when  the  child  of 
such  promises.  He  was  doubtless  taught  to  read  and 
write,  and  from  a  child  knew  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
At  twelve  or  thirteen  he  would  begin  to  attend  the 
feast  of  the  Passover  as  a  *  Son  of  the  Law.'  We  can- 
not judge  of  his  pursuits  in  early  youth.  The  strict 
Jewish  custom  that  every  son  must  learn  a  trade  would 
not  apply  to  Levites,  especially  not  to  priests,  as  they 
all  had  a  calling  divinely  appointed.  One  thing  we 
know,  he  drank  *no  wine  nor  strong  drink.'  "  Did 
Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  tell  John  w^hat  was  in  store 
for  him?  Or  did  they  leave  that  to  God?  They 
most  naturally  told  him.  The  talk  about  John 
would  die  down  among  the  neighbors  as  he  grew  on 
like  other  boys.  Now  and  then  a  reminiscent  old 
woman  would  recall  the  early  excitement  and  tell  it 
as  a  wonderful  incident.  But  the  years  went  by. 
Will  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  live  to  see  the  entrance 
of  John  upon  his  great  work  ?  They  knew,  of  course, 
of  the  actual  birth  of  Jesus  at  Bethlehem  and  of  the 


EQUIPMENT  27 

death  of  Herod  the  Great.  But  it  is  growing  late  in 
the  evening  for  them  both.  The  hght  is  dim.  They 
draw  the  strong,  noble  boy  closer  to  them.  He  has 
already  become  fond  of  the  hills,  and  sometimes  wan- 
ders far.  They  have  left  their  mark  upon  John — a 
precious  heritage  of  faith  and  spiritual  fellowship. 
One  day  the  boy  saw  the  light  die  on  the  face  of  one 
or  the  other,  and  then  of  both.  He  was  alone.  Al- 
ready the  voice  of  God  had  been  calling  to  him  in 
a  strange,  mysterious  way.  Now  he  had  no  other 
voice  to  call.  He  will  follow  that.  He  knew  now 
that  the  hand  of  God  was  with  him.  He  will  hold  it 
fast.  Had  not  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  told  him  to 
keep  his  heart  open  to  the  gate  of  heaven  ?  ^ 

11.  The  Voices  in  the  Desert. — "And  was  in  the 
deserts  till  the  day  of  his  shewing  unto  Israel."  ^ 
But  when  did  he  go  to  "the  deserts"?  It  is  hard  to 
think  that  John  would  have  left  his  aged  parents 
while  alive.  It  may  be  assumed  that  they  are  now 
dead.  John  was  now  probably  grown  (twenty  or 
twenty-one,  not  yet  thirty,  the  Jewish  legal  manhood). 
Josephus  was  sixteen  when  he  went  to  the  desert  to 
study  three  years  under  Banus,  the  famous  Essene.^ 
The  point  is  that  it  was  no  raw,  callow  youth  who 
withdrew  to  the  desert  in  a  fret  or  for  adventure.^ 
John  had  doubtless  come  to  full  consciousness  of 
himself,  of  his  powers,  of  his  mission.  Besides,  he 
knew  his  world,  as  is  plain  when  he  emerges  from  his 

»  Luke  1  :  80.  2  Josephus,  "  Life,"  §  2. 

3  Josephus  {ibid.)  says  that  he  went  to  the  desert  to  learn  the  doctrines 
of  the  Essenes  (he  had  dabbled  in  those  of  the  Sadducees  and  the  Phari- 
sees) "that  I  might  choose  the  best."     He  was  a  theological  "taster." 


28  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

voluntary  retirement.  He  had  "acquired  personal 
independence.  His  wants  were  religiously  limited, 
his  tastes  simple,  and  his  dependence  on  his  brother- 
men  therefore  reduced  to  a  minimum."  ^  Where  did 
he  go?  The  expression  "the  deserts"^  means  "the 
deserted  regions."  He  did  not  have  far  to  go  to  find 
the  barren  rocks  and  cliffs  of  Judah,  and  had  probably 
made  so  many  excursions  into  these  regions  that  he 
felt  at  home  here.  Love  of  solitude  had  become  a 
passion  with  him.  "  Meet  foster-mother  for  one  who 
is  to  be  the  censor  of  his  time."  ^  The  general  region 
called  "desert"  covered  all  the  eastern  portion  of 
Judah  and  part  of  Benjamin.  It  was  in  reality  about 
a  third  of  Judah. ^  It  was  (and  is)  not  an  absolute 
desert,  though  badly  cut  up  with  wadys  or  canyons. 
The  soil  was  largely  washed  away,  but  grass  would 
grow  where  the  soil  still  held,  and  shrubs  and  trees 
would  be  found  here  and  there.  It  was  a  mountain 
highland  that  sloped  down  from  a  height  of  some 
three  thousand  feet  at  Hebron  to  the  abyss  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety-two 
feet  below  the  Mediterranean.  It  was  a  wild,  grand, 
picturesque  place.  There  were  few  inhabitants  save 
in  the  towns  at  the  head  and  lower  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea  and  on  the  higher  plateau.  There  were  sparse 
settlements  here  and  there,  some  Therapeutse,  some 
Essenes.  But  all  in  all  it  was  to  most  people  of  the 
time  a  forbidding  region,  full  of  hardship  and  even 
danger.     Jerome  found   no   farms   here,    but   shep- 

1  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist."  p.  117. 

2  ev  Tats  ep^/aot?  (SC.  yali  OF  X">pais).  3  BlUCe,  "Luks,"  iU  lOCO. 

*  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  219. 


EQUIPMENT  29 

herds  came  with  their  flocks.^  Here  the  vipers  would 
be  seen  in  clusters  (broods)  on  the  rocks.  Not  all  of 
John's  familiarity  with  nature  was  gained  in  this 
region.  The  winnowing  fan,  the  axe  at  the  root  of 
the  tree  he  was  familiar  with  before  he  came  to  the 
desert.  John  had  no  settled  abode  in  the  desert.  He 
moved  from  place  to  place  "  in  the  deserts." 

Why  did  John  go  to  the  wilderness?  Hermits 
went  to  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  as  Josephus^  tells  us 
about  Banus  who  "lived  in  the  desert,  and  used  no 
other  clothing  than  grew  upon  trees,  and  had  no  other 
food  than  what  grew  of  its  own  accord,  and  bathed 
himself  in  cold  water  frequently."  Josephus  "imi- 
tated him  in  those  things"  for  three  years.  Keim^ 
thinks  that  John  also  led  a  "hermit  life."  Certainly 
he  lived  a  solitary  life,  but,  when  he  comes  forth  at  last, 
it  is  not  as  a  hermit  or  man  of  the  woods.  He  did 
indeed  lead  "a  rural  life  away  from  the  capital,"  ^  but 
it  is  by  no  means  clear  that  he  was  an  anchorite, 
though  many  of  them  came  to  these  regions.  It  has, 
indeed,  been  urged  that  John  went  into  the  desert, 
like  Josephus,  to  study  the  doctrine  of  the  Essenes 
and  that  he  became  one.  But  there  is  no  founda- 
tion for  this  idea.  These  cenobites  had  monasteries 
along  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea.  They  numbered 
some  four  thousand  in  all.  The  Essenes  were  an  off- 
shoot of  Pharisaism  with  ascetic  tendencies  concern- 
ing animal  food,  marriage  and  animal  sacrifices,  but 

1  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  219.  Cf.  Smith,  "Historical 
Geography  of  Palestine."  2  "Life,"  §  2. 

3  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  220. 
i  Smith,  "  In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  25. 


30  JOHN  THE   LOYAL 

with  an  admixture  of  the  philosophy  of  Parseeism  and 
Pythagorean  ism,  including  the  worship  of  the  sun.* 
But  there  is  no  real  reason  for  thinking  that  John  had 
any  contact  with  them;  certainly  he  did  not  accept 
their  cardinal  tenets  about  animal  food  (he  ate  locusts)^ 
nor  marriage,  which  he  did  not  condemn,  nor  about 
sun-worship,  which  he  did  not  practise.  He  did 
practise  the  ascetic  life  as  was  true  of  many  others 
not  Essenes,  but  he  came  forth  and  lived  among  men. 
"He  preached  the  Kingdom  of  God;  they  preached 
isolation.  They  abandoned  society;  he  strove  to  re- 
form it.*'  ^  It  is  true  that  he  fasted  frequendy,  as  his 
disciples  did  later.^  But  that  was  a  common  thing 
with  all  Pharisees,  who  were  surprised  that  Jesus  and 
his  disciples  did  not  fast.  John  was  not  peculiar 
because  of  his  stated  fasting.  Both  John  and  Jesus 
abstained  from  oaths  and  honored  poverty  as  the 
Essenes  did.^  "The  Essenes  had  renounced  every 
Messianic  expectation;  the  soul  of  John's  life  and 
ministry  was  the  expectation  of  the  Messiah  and  the 
preparation  for  his  work.  The  Essenes  made  matter 
the  seat  of  sin;  John,  by  his  energetic  calls  to  con- 
version, shows  plainly  that  he  found  it  in  the  will."  ^ 
The  Essenes  were  pessimists  who  gave  up  the  world; 
John  was  a  reformer  who  came  to  make  it  better. 
It  is  true  that  John's  retirement  to  the  desert  was  a 
protest  against  the  prevailing  luxury  and  corruption.^ 

1  See  Schuerer,  "  The  Jewish  People  in  the  Times  of  Jesus  Christ," 
second  division,  vol.  II,  pp.  189-218;  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  I, 
pp.  365  ff. ;   Lightfoot  on  Colossians,  pp.  158-179. 

2  Cheyne  ("Encycl.  Bibl.")  takes  locusts  to  mean  earob-beans. 

3  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p.  44.  *  Matt.  9  :14. 

6  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  180.  ^  Qodet,  "Luke,"  p.  73. 

7  Lambert,  "Hastings's  D.  C.  G." 


EQUIPMENT  31 . 

His  predecessor  Amos  **  had  been  a  herdsman  and 
a  dresser  of  sycomores  in  that  very  region  eight  cen- 
turies before."  ^  Like  Amos,  also,  he  would  meditate 
upon  this  high  calling  better  in  this  wild  and  desolate 
region.  But  John  was  no  mere  imitator  of  any  one. 
He  was  sid  generis^  and  all  the  more  so  because  of  his 
grapple  with  himself  in  the  wilderness.  He  did  not 
go  apart,  as  the  usual  monastic  does,  to  gain  merit 
with  God,^  but  to  face  his  life  problem  and  to  adjust 
himself  to  it.  His  going  was  "  an  absolute  break  with 
the  prevalent  Pharisaic  type  of  piety."  ^  He  went, 
not  to  stay,  but  to  get  ready  to  come  back,  to  come 
back  to  save  his  people.^  But  John  "learned  his 
lesson  at  the  feet  of  no  human  teacher."  ^  Reynolds® 
has  a  fine  word:  "His  education  was  the  memory  of 
his  childhood  and  the  knowledge  of  his  commission, 
and  was  effected  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God.  His 
schoolmasters  were  the  rocks  of  the  desert  of  Judea, 
the  solemn  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  eternal  Pres- 
ence that  fills  the  solitudes  of  nature,  the  sins,  the 
shame,  the  vows,  the  hopes,  the  professions  of  his 
countrymen."  ^ 

He  had  withdrawn  in  no  selfish  spirit,  certainly  not 
to  shirk  his  duty.     Much  of  the  hermit  and  monastic 

>  Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  26. 

2  Keirn,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  222. 

3  Lambert,  "Hastings's  D.  C.  G." 

*  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  222. 

»  Nourse,  "Standard  Bible  Dictionary."     «  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  118. 

» Cf.  Wordsworth : 

"  He  knew  the  rocks  which  angels  haunt 
On  the  mountains  visitant ; 
He  hath  kenned  them  taking  wing.  .  .  . 

His  daily  teachers  had  been  woods  and  rills, 
The  silence  that  is  in  the  starry  sky, 

The  sleep  that  is  among  the  lonely  hills." 


32  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

life  of  the  ages  has  really  been  a  species  of  selfishness, 
as  citizens  to-day  withdraw  from  politics  and  leave  the 
government  of  the  cities  to  the  "bosses"  and  corrupt 
professional  politicians.  The  precise  example  of  John 
in  his  wilderness  life  is  not  necessarily  a  model  for  us, 
certainly  not  for  all.  But  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  in 
our  restless,  feverish  age  men  would  be  greatly  helped 
by  taking  time  for  reflection  and  meditation.  John 
gained  much  by  his  voluntary  and  temporary  with- 
drawal to  the  desert.  He  gained  robust  health  from 
simple,  wholesome  fare  and  life  out  in  the  open  air. 
This  sturdiness  of  body  will  stand  him  in  good  stead 
during  the  severe  strain  of  open-air  preaching  to  great 
crowds.^  It  is  a  curious  notion  held  by  some  people 
that  emaciation  is  a  sign  of  piety. 

It  is  without  doubt  true  that  John's  imagination 
was  cultivated  by  the  wild  grandeur  all  about  him. 
The  deep  gorges,  the  high  cliffs,  the  daring  leap  of  a 
wild  goat,  the  flight  of  an  eagle,  the  flash  of  the  light- 
ning, the  fury  of  the  sfeorm  on  the  bare  rocks — these 
would  all  have  an  exalting  influence  on  his  mind. 
He  may  have  had  rolls  of  the  prophets  with  him, 
which  he  would  read  in  these  impressive  surroundings. 
He  often  quotes  the  picturesque  passages  of  the  Old 
Testament.^  Nature  has  also  a  distinct  influence 
toward  devotion  when  one  yields  himself  to  its  noblest 
impressions.  He  would  worship  in  the  temple  of 
nature,  but  not  the  sun,  but  Jehovah,  the  God  of 

1  Farrar  ("Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  107)  considers  John  emaciated. 

2  Tasker,  "Hastings's  One  Volume  Dictionary."  Thus  (Luke  3:17 
and  Acts  9:9;  Isa.  66  :  24;  John  1 :  23  and  Isa.  40 :  3;  John  1 :  29  and 
Isa.  53 :  7). 


EQUIPMENT  33 

Israel  (the  true  Israel),  and  of  nature.  Jesus  went 
often  to  the  mountains  to  pray  alone  with  the  Father. 

Was  not  the  hand  of  the  Lord  still  with  him  in  the 
desert?  Is  it  mere  speculation  to  suppose  that  John 
"was  led  by  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness"  as  Jesus 
was  in  later  years?  Indeed,  it  is  hardly  probable 
that  the  devil  left  John  alone  during  these  years  in 
retirement.  Those  who  flee  from  society  merely  to 
escape  temptation  should  remember  that  Jesus  met 
the  devil  in  the  desert  as  well  as  on  the  pinnacle  of 
the  temple. 

John  had  a  new  angle  of  vision  in  the  wilderness. 
He  could  contemplate  from  a  distance  the  moral  and 
spiritual  condition  of  his  people.  He  could  seek  to 
discover  the  causes  of  the  lapse  in  public  life.  He 
could  search  for  a  remedy.  If  he  was  to  be  a  re- 
former he  must  be  more  than  a  denunciator  of  present 
conditions.  It  was  not  hard  to  criticise  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees.  Could  he  offer  the  people  anything 
better? 

12.  The  Call  to  Cry. — He  knew,  we  may  assume, 
his  mission  as  he  had  been  told  it  by  his  parents.  He 
had  communed  with  the  master  spirits  of  the  olden 
days.  But  the  prophetic  fire  had  not  yet  blazed 
within  him.  He  was  willing  to  bide  his  time.  One 
must  not  forget  the  self-restraint  of  John  during  these 
years.  "The  nature  of  John  was  full  of  impetuosity 
and  fire.  ...  If  he  had  won  peace  in  the  long  prayer 
and  penitence  of  his  life  in  the  wilderness,  it  was  not 
the  spontaneous  peace  of  a  placid  and  holy  soul. 
The  victory  he  had  won  was  still  encumbered  with 


34  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

traces  of  the  battle.  .  .  .  While  he  was  musing  the 
fire  burned,  and  at  the  last  he  spake  with  his  tongue. 
.  .  .  In  solitude  he  had  learnt  things  unspeakable; 
there  the  unseen  world  had  become  to  him  a  reality; 
there  his  spirit  had  caught  a  touch  of  phantasy  and 
flame.  .  .  .  He  had  received  a  revelation  not  vouch- 
safed to  ordinary  men — attained,  not  in  the  schools 
of  the  Rabbis,  but  in  the  school  of  solitude,  in  the 
school  of  God."  ^  Probably  it  was  gradual,  this  con- 
viction on  John's  part,  that  he  must  speak.  The 
message  was  taking  shape  in  his  mind.  Possibly  re- 
ports came  to  him  of  unusual  shortcomings  on  the  part 
of  the  religious  leaders  in  Jerusalem.  "  As  he  brooded 
on  the  signs  of  the  times,  the  barren  trees  of  the  desert 
fit  only  for  burning,  and  the  vipers  fleeing  before  the 
flaming  scrub,  became  emblems  of  the  nation's  peril, 
and  lent  color  to  his  warnings  of  impending  wrath."  ^ 
Yes,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  put  a  live  coal  upon  his 
lip.  The  fire  burned  within  his  heart.  He  felt  the 
woe  of  the  true  preacher  upon  him  if  he  did  not  speak. 
But,  after  all,  who  was  he,  a  man  of  the  desert,  a 
Nazirite,  poor  and  unknown,  who  was  he  to  lift  up 
his  voice  against  the  great  forces  of  Jewish  life  in 
Jerusalem?  He  doubtless  had  his  moments  of  re- 
action, but  the  call  came  back,  and  louder.  There 
was  no  peace.  He  had  to  speak  even  if  no  one  heard. 
He  dared  not  go  to  Jerusalem  in  his  garb,  nor  would 
he  be  likely  to  gain  a  hearing  there.  He  had  his  voice 
if  he  had  no  synagogue  nor  temple  court.     Indeed,  he 

»  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  pp.  108  f. 

2  Tasker,  "  Hastings's  One  Volume  Dictionary."     Of.  Smith,  "  Histori- 
cal Geography  of  Palestine,"  p.  495. 


EQUIPMENT  35 

had  no  audience  but  the  eagles,  the  goats,  and  the 
vipers.  But  he  must  speak.  "The  day  of  his  shew- 
ing^ unto  Israel"  had  come.  Plummer^  suggests  that 
John  may  have  gone  up  to  Jerusalem  for  the  feasts. 
But  the  word  "shewing"  hardly  means  that,  though 
it  does  imply  a  rather  formal  installation  into  office.^ 
But  it  was  in  the  wilderness  that  God  met  John  (cf. 
Moses  at  the  Burning  Bush).  In  the  wilderness  John 
began  to  cry.^  "The  word  of  God  came  unto  John 
the  son  of  Zacharias  in  the  wilderness."  ^  He  had 
long  been  listening  for  that  word.  Now  it  has  come, 
and  it  finds  him  ready. 

•  avaSei'^ews.     Luke  1 :  80.  *  "  Luke,"  p.  44. 

3  Godet.  "  Luke,"  p.  73.  i  Matt.  3:1.  «  Luke  3 :  2. 


CHAPTER  II 

CHALLENGE 

"  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand" 

(Matt.  3:2). 

1.  The  Time. — Matthew^  merely  says  "in  those 
days,"  while  Mark^  succinctly  and  vividly  describes 
the  appearance  of  John  as  "  the  beginning  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God."  Matthew  is  not 
concerned  with  exact  dates.  Mark  is  justified  by  the 
word  of  Jesus'  in  making  John  the  beginning  of  the 
New  Dispensation.  The  actual  outward  beginning 
was  when  John  lifted  up  his  voice  in  the  wilderness. 
"Until  John,"  Jesus  said.  There  was  a  grand,  an 
awful  silence  in  the  preceding  centuries  till  the  new 
prophet  spoke.^  "It  was  the  glory  of  the  Baptist  to 
have  revived  the  function  of  the  prophet."  ^  Holtz- 
mann^  (Oscar)  thinks  that  "  scarcely  any  great  intel- 
lectual movement  that  the  world  has  known  has  had 
a  simpler  and  less  pretentious  beginning  than  Chris- 
tianity." 

Luke  is  fully  conscious  that  the  new  era  opens  with 
John.  He  has  the  historian's  sense  of  the  importance 
of  the  beginning  of  the  new  time.     He  seeks  to  relate 

'3:1.  2  1:1.  3  Matt.  11:  12  f.;  Luke  16:  16. 

^  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus."  vol.  I,  p.  255. 

s  "Ecce  Homo."  p.  2.     Cf.  Ben,?el,  "Hie  quasi  scena  N.  T.  panditur." 

«  "The  Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  109. 

36 


CHALLENGE  37 

it  to  the  world  by  a  sixfold  date  after  the  fashion  of 
Thucydides  with  his  sixfold  date  of  the  entry  of  the 
Thebans  into  Platsea/  This  synchronistic  date^  in- 
cludes the  political  and  ecclesiastical  rulers  of  Pales- 
tine. The  political  rulers  are  naturally  the  Emperor 
Tiberius  Caesar,  who  ruled  over  all;  Pontius  Pilate, 
the  new  governor  of  Judea  under  Tiberius;  Herod 
(Antipas),  the  Tetrarch  of  Galilee  (and  Perea),  whose 
subject  Jesus  was,  and  to  whom  he  paid  taxes;  Philip, 
the  Tetrarch  of  Iturea  and  Trachonitis,  where  Jesus 
found  refuge  (Csesarea  Philippi).  The  mention  of 
Lysanias,  the  Tetrarch  of  Abilene,  is  not  so  natural. 
It  is  possible  that  Abilene  had  once  belonged  to 
Herod  the  Great,  since  Claudius  gave  it  to  Herod 
Agrippa  I.^  The  word  tetrarch^  literally  means  ruler  1 
of  a  fourth  part.^  The  four  great  divisions  of  Her-  \ 
od's  kingdom  would  thus  receive  mention.  Luke's 
accuracy  has  been  challenged  on  the  ground  of  this 
mention  of  Lysanias  of  Abilene,  which  is  unsupported 
by  any  other  evidence,  though  one  by  that  name  is 
known  who  lived  six  years  before.^  But  Schuerer  con- 
tends that  Luke  is  thoroughly  correct.  Philip  ruled 
from  B.  C.  4-A.  D.  39,  Herod  Antipas  from  B.  C. 
4-A.  D.  39,  Pontius  Pilate  from  A.  D.  26-36.'  The 
only  exact  note  of  time  is  in  connection  with  Tiberius, 

•  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p.  80. 

2  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  109, 

3  Godet,  "Luke,"  p.  108;  Josephus,  "Ant.,"  xix,  5,  1. 

*  rerpaapxavvTo^  3  :  1.     Three  times  here. 

6  Of.  the  four  provinces  of  Thessaly  in  Eur.  "Ale,"  1154.  This  is  the 
only  mention  in  the  New  Testament,  but  see  Josephus,  "War,"  iii,  10,  7. 
Of.  Plummer,  p.  82. 

«  "  The  Jewish  People,"  etc.,  div.  I,  vol.  II,  p.  338.  Of.  Godet,  "  Luke," 
p.  107. 

^  Holtzmann  ("Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  110)  puts  his  date  A.  D.  27-37. 


38  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

in  the  fifteenth  year  of  whose  reign  John  made  his 
public  appearance  as  a  prophet.  Now  Tiberius  was 
emperor  from  A.  D.  14-37.  So  fourteen  years  plus 
fourteen  would  equal  twenty-eight.  Holtzmann*  so 
takes  it,  and  justifies  Luke's  date.  But  Jesus  was 
probably  put  to  death  at  the  Passover  of  A.  D.  29  or 
30.  He  seems  to  have  entered  upon  his  ministry 
when  thirty  years  old  ("about  thirty")^  and  was  six 
months  younger  than  John.  This  interval  between 
the  beginning  of  John's  ministry  and  that  of  Jesus 
cannot,  of  course,  be  known  with  absolute  certainty, 
but  the  period  of  six  months  seems  probable.  How- 
ever, A.  D.  28  appears  to  be  too  late  for  the  beginning 
of  John's  work,  since  the  ministry  of  Jesus  was  at 
least  two  and  a  half  years  long.  It  is  known  that  in 
the  provinces  Tiberius  was  associated  with  Augustus 
in  the  rule  for  two  years.^  It  is  entirely  possible,  even 
probable,  that  Luke,  writing  about  the  provincial 
rule,  and  in  the  provinces  himself,  has  this  in  mind. 
If  so,  A.  D.  26  would  be  the  latest  date  for  John's 
ministry  possible,  and  more  probably  A.  D.  25,  unless 
the  mention  of  Pilate  (A.  D.  26)  is  conclusive  for  26. 
We  do  not  know  the  time  of  year  when  John  began 
his  ministry.  It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  tarry  over 
Luke's  use  of  the  untechnical  "governor"^  rather 
than  the  more  exact  "  Procurator."  ^  The  ecclesi- 
astical rulers  mentioned  are  two,  Annas  and  Caiaphas.® 

1  lUd.  2  Luke  3  :  23. 

3Suet..  "Tib.,"xxi;  "Veil.  Paterc,"  ii,   121.     Of.  Godet,  "Luke,"  p. 
106;  Plummer,  p.  82. 

^  r]yepiOVivovTO<;.  5  J)  reads  cTrtTpoTrevoi/TOj. 

6  Note   idiomatic   use  of  titi.     The  mention  of  ipxiepecos  only  once  is 
"probably  not  accidental,  and  certainly  not  ironical"  (Plummer). 


CHALLENGE  39 

The  same  expression  occurs  in  Acts  4  :  6  ("  Annas  the 
high-priest  and  Caiaphas'').  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
Annas  was  actual  high-priest  from  A.  D.  7-14,  when 
he  was  deposed.  His  son-in-law,  Caiaphas,  was  high- 
priest  from  A.  D.  18-36.  They  either  shared  the 
office  between  them  or  Annas  was  considered  high- 
priest  de  jure  and  Caiaphas  de  facto.  This  situation 
explains  the  connection  of  Annas  with  the  trial  of 
Jesus.^ 

Thus,  then,  Luke  gives  us  an  outlook  upon  the 
world  of  John's  time.  John,  so  far  as  we  know,  had 
no  special  dealings  with  Tiberius,  who  perhaps  never 
heard  of  the  new  se'nsation  on  the  Jordan.  But  he 
did  have  direct  dealings  with  Herod  Antipas.  Johnf 
was  not  the  kind  of  preacher  who  made  an  absolute 
divorce  between  religion  and  politics.  He  tried  toj 
put  religious  principles  into  politicians.  We  have  no 
evidence  that  Annas  and  Caiaphas  ever  saw  John, 
but  they  took  notice  of  John,  as  we  shall  see.^  John 
was  not  oblivious  of  the  public  about  him.^ 

Luke  seems  to  have  a  sense  of  the  fulness  of  the 
time  that  he  shows  in  connection  with  the  coming  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost.^  Greek 
philosophy  had  issued  in  cynical  pride  or  reckless 
abandon.  Roman  power  was  on  the  principle  that 
might  is  right.  "The  idea  of  conscience,  as  we 
understand  it,  was  unknown  to  heathenism.  Abso- 
lute right  did  not  exist."  ^    Hellenism  had  pressed 

I  John  18  :  13,  19.  2  John  1 :  19. 

'  Tiberius  "  was  a  malicious  and  furious  man,  unwilling  to  do  anything 
that  he  thought  would  please  his  subjects"  (Philo,  "Leg.,"  1033).  Cf. 
Geike.  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  381.  *  Acts  2 :  1. 

6  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  259. 


40  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  Jews  into  a  corner.  The  more  devout  and  pa- 
triotic spirits  had  made  a  noble  and  (for  a  time)  suc- 
cessful stand  against  the  Hellenizers.  The  glories  of 
the  Maccabean  struggle  were  as  noble  traditions  as 
Judaism  had.  But  even  the  Maccabees  fell  under 
the  spell  of  Greece.  Pharisaism  was  the  hard  protest 
of  a  resentful  people  who  clung  to  their  traditions.* 
The  time  had  come  for  a  change.  The  darkest  hour 
is  just  before  the  dawn.  Luke's  interest  in  the  date 
of  John's  appearance  is  not  simply  because  of  John. 
It  is  due  to  the  fact  that  John  was  the  Forerunner  of 
Jesus.  It  is  the  revolution  wrought  by  Christianity 
which  concerns  Luke.  "It  was  indeed  a  striking 
coincidence  that  just  where  Israel  of  old  had  entered 
the  Land  of  Promise,  the  door  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  should  in  those  last  days  be  opened."  ^ 

2.  The  Place. — Mark^  has  simply  "in  the  wilder- 
ness," but  that  is  clear  enough.  Matthew*  adds  "of 
Judea,"  while  Luke^  explains  that  "he  came  into  all 
the  region  round  about  Jordan."  ^  He  was  already 
in  the  desert  when  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  him. 
So  he  began  preaching  where  he  was  to  the  few  passers 
by  or  cenobites.  The  news  rapidly  spread  that  a  real 
prophet  had  appeared,  the  first  since  Malachi  (c.  460- 
430  B.  C).  But  it  is  an  itinerant  ministry.  The 
people  came  to  John,  but  he  moved  on  to  the  Jordan. 
The  term  wilderness  included  all  the  Jordan  valley, 
or  El-Ghor.     He  probably  began  in  the  south  and 

•  "  All  real  belief  in  a  personal  continuance  after  death  must  have 
ceased  among  the  educated  classes"  {ibid.,  p.  257). 

2  Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  26. 

3  1:4.  "Sri.  63:3.  « irepi'xwpo.'.     Cf.  Gen.  13  :  10  f. 


CHALLENGE  41 

moved  on  north,  and  was  now  on  one  side  of  the  Jor- 
dan, now  on  the  other/  He  finally  went  near  the 
border  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.^ 

"His  selection  of  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  as  his 
sphere  of  work  was  partly  determined  by  the  need  of 
water  for  immersion."  ^  In  the  early  stages  of  his 
ministry  we  may  think  of  him  as  in  the  lower  Jordan 
valley,  a  little  above  the  Dead  Sea.  He  would  move 
up  the  river.  Bruce^  thinks  that  he  found  a  place 
by  the  river  convenient  for  baptism,  and  then  settled 
there.  The  Jordan  ("the  descender")  has  many 
memories  (Joshua,  Naaman,  Elisha,  etc),  but  its 
fame  rests  mainly  on  the  work  of  John  in  this  min- 
istry. To  the  Jordan  Jesus  came  for  baptism.  In  a 
true  sense  the  Jordan  was  John's  river.  Its  principal 
source  was  on  Mount  Hermon,  seventeen  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  it  sank  into  the  Dead  Sea 
twelve  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet  below  the  sea. 
The  Dead  Sea  itself  was  some  thirteen  hundred  feet 
deep.^  The  valley  between  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  the 
Dead  Sea  varied  from  two  to  six  miles  in  width." 
"  Winding  about  in  this  long,  narrow  valley  is  another 
depressed  valley  (forty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
deeper),  of  several  hundred  yards  in  width;  and 
within  this  the  actual  bed  of  the  river  sinks  deeper 
still."^  The  one  is  El-Ghor,  the  other  is  El-Zor.  It 
is  only  sixty-five  miles  between  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and 

1  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p.  85.     Cf.  John  1 :  28;  10 :  40. 

2  John  3  :  23. 

3  Plummer,  "Luke,"  pp.   85  f.     Cf.  Stanley,  "Sinai  and   Palestine," 
p.  312.  ^  "Luke,"  in  loco. 

6  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  43, 
6  Ibid.,  p.  43. 


42  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  Dead  Sea,  but  the  actual  winding  of  the  river  here 
is  some  two  hundred  miles.  The  amount  of  water  in 
the  river  varies  in  different  places  and  at  different 
seasons  of  the  year.  There  are  numerous  fords  up 
and  down  the  river.  When  the  snows  of  Hermon 
melt  in  the  spring,  the  water  is  high.  In  places  it 
will  be  seventy-five  feet  wide  and  ten  feet  deep.  At 
the  rapids  it  would  be  only  a  few  inches  deep.  But 
there  is  no  place  on  the  Jordan  where  we  know  cer- 
tainly that  John  was  save  Bethany,  beyond  Jordan,* 
and  Enon,  near  to  Salim.^  This  latter  was  probably 
some  distance  from  the  Jordan,  where  were  many 
pools.^  But  the  people  could  find  John  even  in  the 
wilderness. 

3.  The  First  Glimpse  of  the  Man. — "Now  John 
himself."  *  After  all,  the  man  is  more  interesting  and 
important  than  his  surroundings.  His  dress  was 
striking  and  would  at  once  arrest  attention.  It  was 
like  that  of  Banus,  described  by  Josephus.^  But  it 
was  more  like  that  of  the  prophets.  It  was  probably 
the  coarse,  rude  garment  woven  of  camel's  hair.^  It 
is  worth  noting  that  the  Oriental  people  did  not  care 
for  this  camel's  hair  cloth  as  much  as  Westerners  do 
now.''  Elijah,  indeed,  wore  a  sheepskin  mantle^  as 
some  writers  think  was  true  of  John.^  But  the  Greek 
idiom  is  against  it.     Some  of  the  saints  in  times  of 

1  John  1 :  28.     On  the  eastern  side. 

2  John  3  :  23.     On  the  western  side.  '  vSara  noWd. 

*  Matt.  3  :  4;   ovrbs  Se  b  'Itoavrj^.  6  "Life,"  §  2. 

6  ano  Tpix^v  Kaixyj\ov  (Matt.  3:4;   Mark  1 :  6).     Cf.  Zech.  13  :  4. 

7  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  113. 

8  I  Kings  19  :  19. 

9  Cf.  Cheyne,  "  Encycl.  Bibl. "     D  does  read  Sdppiv  <ca/aijAou  in  Mark  3 : 6, 
probably  from  Zechariah.     Cf.  Swete  on  Mark  3  :  6. 


CHALLENGE  43 

emergency  had  worn  sheepskins  and  goatskins.*  It 
is  possible,  indeed,  that  John  is  consciously  imitating 
in  a  general  way  the  garb  of  Elijah.^  It  was  probably 
a  garment  of  sackcloth  woven  of  camel's  hair  that 
John  wore.  The  leathern  girdle  was  also  like  that 
worn  by  Elijah^  "in  contrast  with  the  metal  girdles 
which  the  ancients  preferred."  *  But  this  imitation 
of  dress  was  not  mere  artificial  copying.  He  had  the 
mood  of  Elijah.^  His  very  garb  preached  a  lesson  to 
that  profligate  age.  His  diet  was  as  simple  as  his 
dress.  The  wild  honey^  was  abundant  in  the  clefts 
of  the  rocks.  Some  scholars  think  that  it  was  tree 
honey  that  exuded  from  the  palms  and  fig-trees. 
Bruce^  holds  to  this  idea  on  the  ground  that  it  was 
poorer  food  than  the  bee  honey,  which  was  nourishing 
and  plentiful,  if  a  luxury  in  some  sections.  But 
surely  Swete^  is  right  in  holding  to  the  natural  mean- 
ing of  bee  honey  (mountain  honey).  There  is  dis- 
pute as  to  the  "locusts"  also.^  The  notion  that  he 
ate  the  carob-bean  is  held  by  some.  The  Ebionites 
restricted  John's  diet  to  cakes  made  with  honey  or 
to  honey  alone.*^  There  were  clean  locusts  and  unclean 
locusts.  Four  kinds  of  clean  locusts  are  mentioned 
in  Lev.  11  :  22  (Septuagint)."  To-day  the  Bedouins 
eat  many  kinds  of  locusts.  The  legs  and  wings  are 
stripped  off  and  the  rest  is  boiled,  baked  or  roasted. 

iHeb.  11:  37. 

2  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  27;  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  308. 
8 II  Kings  1 :  8. 

*  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  113. 
6  Bruce  on  Matthew,  3  :  4. 

«  Me'At  aypiov.  ^  Matt.  3:6.  8  Mark  1:6.  »  a<cpt5ey. 

•0  Nicholson,  "Gospel  According  to  the  Hebrews,"  p.  34. 
"  The  Gemarists  found  eight  hundred  kinds  of  clean  or  edible  locusts 
(Swete  on  Mark  1 :  6). 


44  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

They  are  considered  good  food  and  sold  in  the  mar- 
ket.^ Evidently  John  was  not  a  vegetarian  if  he  ate 
these  locusts  and  bee  honey.  At  any  rate  he  had 
plenty  of  good  food,  if  it  was  decidedly  monotonous. 
One  may  compare  the  use  of  Irish  potatoes  by  the 
poor  in  Ireland  and  porridge  by  the  poor  in  Scotland, 
not  to  mention  fish  and  rice  in  Japan.  But  John's 
personal  attraction  was  even  more  remarkable  than 
his  dress.^  John's  powerful  personality  was  most 
impressive.  It  is  a  mere  silhouette  that  Mark  (and 
Matthew)  has  drawn  for  us.  The  lines  are  sharply 
cut  and  John  stands  out  boldly  and  clearly.  He  was 
no  charlatan,  no  trickster,  no  oddity.  In  reality,  his 
dress  and  food  comported  well  with  the  sturdiness  of 
his  nature,  the  courage  of  his  message,  the  purity  of 
his  look,  the  directness  of  his  speech,  the  elevation  of 
his  spirit.  Alexander  Maclaren^  says:  "John  leaps, 
as  it  were,  into  the  arena  full  grown  and  full  armed." 
He  springs  forward  with  the  same  startling  sudden- 
ness with  which  Elijah  enters  the  scene.^  Those  who 
saw  him  would  never  forget  him.  They  would  be 
sure  to  tell  others  about  him.  Soon  he  was  the  talk  of 
all  Judea.  But  what  did  it  all  mean  ?  What  did  he 
claim  about  himself? 

4.  The  Scriptural  Similitude. — John  himself  origi- 
nated the  idea  that  he  was  the  Forerunner  of  the 
Messiah,  the  Voice  crying  in  the  wilderness,  for  he 

*  Bruce  on  Matt.  3  :  4. 

2  Holtzma-nn,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  114.  "In  the  east  such  externals  are 
supposed  to  lend  a  higher  significance  to  the  appearance"  (Weiss,  "Life 
of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  308). 

s  As  quoted  by  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  27. 

4  1  Kings  17:1.  Of.  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  27;  Didon.  "Jgsus 
Christ,"  pp.  191,  196. 


CHALLENGE  45 

quotes  Isa.  40  : 3  to  the  embassy  from  Jerusalem/ 
and  applies  it  to  himself.  It  is  possible  that  in  Matt. 
3  : 3  we  have  the  language  of  John  also,  but  it  is  more 
probable  that  it  is  that  of  the  Evangelist.^  All  four 
gospels  thus  bear  witness  to  this  "primitive  interpre- 
tation'* ^  that  John  is  the  Forerunner  described  by 
Isaiah.  Mr.  W.  P.  Bradley^  makes  a  curious  argu- 
ment to  prove  that  while  John  did  claim  to  be  the 
Forerunner,  he  did  not  admit  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah. 
He  notes  properly  that  Mark  is  the  earliest  gospel 
and  John  the  latest.  Mark^  and  Matthew®  state  that 
John  was  Elijah  that  was  to  come,  while  John's  gos- 
pel ^  represents  the  Baptist  as  denying  it.  What  John's 
disclaimer  really  means  will  be  discussed  directly. 
But  Mr.  Bradley  makes  much  of  the  fact  that  Mark 
and  Luke  do  not  represent  John  the  Baptist  as 
identifying  Jesus  with  the  Messiah.  Therefore  he 
did  not  really  believe  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah.  It 
is  hard  to  take  such  straining  after  novelty  as  serious 
criticism.  But,  this  aside,  it  is  clear  that  as  John 
stepped  forth  upon  his  mission,  he  is  fully  conscious 
that  he  is  the  Forerunner  predicted  long  ago,  who  was 
to  be  the  Herald  ^  of  the  New  Dispensation.  In  the 
prophetic  picture  the  Forerunner  has  a  place  by  the 
side  of  the  Messiah.^ 

In  what  sense  was  John  Elijah  ?     "  Everything  in 

»  John  1 :  23.  2  "  por  this  is  he." 

8  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p.  86.  Mark  (1:2)  quotes  from  Mai.  3:  1  and 
(in  the  best  MSS.)  attributes  the  whole  to  Isaiah  as  the  greater  and  more 
prominent  of  the  two  prophets  whose  words  are  here  combined. 

*  Biblical  World,  May  and  June,  1910. 

B9:llf.  6  11:  14;   17:  10-13.  M  :  19-24. 

*  Kripv(Tar(tiv  ((crjpv^)  Matt.  3:1. 

9Godet,  "Luke."  p.  110. 


46  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

him  recalled  the  great  prophet  of  action.  Elijah  did 
not  write  a  single  page  in  the  Book  of  God;  his  book 
was  himself,  his  prophecy  was  his  life;  it  was  enough 
for  him  to  appear,  to  call  up  before  degenerate  Israel 
the  living  image  of  holiness."  *  There  runs  a  real 
parallel  between  the  careers  of  the  two  men.  It  is 
strikingly  put  by  Edersheim.^  "  John  came  suddenly 
out  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  as  Elijah  from  the 
wilds  of  Gilead.  John  bore  the  same  ascetic  appear- 
ance as  his  predecessor;  the  message  of  John  was  the 
counterpart  of  that  of  Elijah;  his  baptism  that  of 
Elijah's  novel  rite  on  Carmel."  It  is  true  that  John 
pointedly  disclaimed  being  Elijah,^  but  what  he  de- 
nied was  the  exaggerated  expectations  of  the  people,* 
not  the  real  promise  of  the  prophet.^  Indeed,  it  was 
probably  some  word  of  John  about  this  very  matter 
that  had  led  the  Sanhedrin  to  make  this  inquiry,  a 
word  which  had  been  misunderstood  and  which  John 
now  bluntly  corrects.  Jesus  expressly  says  that  John 
was  the  real  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy,  he  was  the 
Elijah  that  was  to  come,^  in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Elijah  as  Gabriel  had  said.'  That  is  all  that  was  ever 
meant,  but  it  had  been  grossly  misunderstood  again. ^ 
The  Jewish  expectations  about  Elijah  as  Forerun- 
ner were  varied.  It  is  probable  that  many  teachers 
before  John  were  asked,  "Art  thou  Elijah?"  The 
expectation  was  general  that  Elijah  would  come  before 

»  Pressensg,  "Jesus  Christ,"  p.  238. 

2  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  255. 

3  John  1  :  21-23. 

*  Westcott  on  John,  vol.  I,  p.  34.  b  Mai.  4 :  5. 

6  Mark  9  :  11  f.;  Matt.  11 :  14;  17  :  12. 

'  Luke  1 :  17.  8  Matt.  17  :  10. 


CHALLENGE  47 

the  Messiah  appeared.  The  "scribes'*  of  Christ's 
day  said  that  he  "must"  ^  come  first.  It  became  the 
custom  at  circumcisions  for  a  chair  to  be  placed  for 
Elijah,  as  witness,  and  to  cry,  "  Elias,  come  soon."  ^ 
There  would  be  the  vague  hope  that  the  boy  might 
prove  to  be  Elijah  who  was  going  to  come.^  It  is  not 
clear  that  Jesus  means  that  Elijah  was  to  come  still 
another  time,  because  of  the  language  in  Matt.  17  :  11: 
"Elias  comes  and  will  restore  all  things."  In  Mark 
9  :  11  it  is  "Elias  comes  first  and  restores  all  things." 
The  present  is  rather  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
ancient  prophecy.  Jesus  at  once  adds  that  Elijah 
has  come.*  The  rabbis  (scribes)  expected  that  Elijah 
would  come  as  a  consoler,  and  to  discriminate  -between 
things  clean  and  unclean.^  He  was  expected  "three 
days"  before  the  Messiah,  and  it  was  believed  that 
"he  would  come  in  the  mountains  of  Israel,  weeping 
over  the  people,  saying,  O  Land  of  Israel,  how  long 
will  you  remain  arid  and  desolate  ? "  ^  "  His  voice 
shall  be  heard  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  another."  ^ 
The  Jews  kept  on  looking  for  the  coming  of  Elijah. 
"Abdallah,  the  fierce  lord  of  Acre,  almost  died  of 
terror  from  a  vision  in  which  he  believed  himself  to 
have  seen  Elijah  sitting  on  the  top  of  Carmel."  ^  It 
was  not  clear  to  the  rabbis  how  Elijah  would  come, 

>  Mark  9:11;   Matt.  17  :  11.     Sel  e\^elv  irpurov. 

2  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  231.     Of.  Pirke  R.  Eliezer,  c.  29. 

3  6  iJLtKkuiv  epxe<rt?at.      Mark  11 :  15. 

*  ^Stj  rik^ev  in  Mark  9 :  12  and  e\ri\v^ev  in  Matt.  17 :  13. 

BSchoettgen,  "De  Messia,  Hor.  Hebr.,"  vol.  II,  p.  226. 

6  Jalkut  Sim.,  ii,  fol.  53,  3  (Schoettgen),  "Hor.  Hebr.,"  pp.  534  ff.  Cf. 
also  J.  Lightfoot  for  further  collection  of  rabbinical  passag:es. 

'  Perikta  Rabbathi,  fol.  62,  1.     Cf.  Reynolds,  "  John  the  Baptist,"  p.  223. 

8  Grove,  Article  "Elijah,"  in  "Smith's  B.  D."  Cf.  Reynolds,  "John 
the  Baptist,"  p.  222. 


48  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

but  they  distinguished  between  his  coming  and  that  of 
the  Messiah  as  is  seen  in  the  question  of  the  embassy 
to  John.^  "WTiether  the  Tishbite  himself  was  ex- 
pected to  return  in  his  chariot  of  flame,  from  the  un- 
known paradise  into  which  he  had  been  caught,  or 
whether  his  spirit,  by  a  metempsychosis,  was  to  be 
re-embodied  in  the  breast  of  some  sage  Pharisee  or 
brave  warrior,  or  whether  the  highest  stage  of  Es- 
senic  culture  was  itself  the  possession  of  the  Elijah- 
ship,  did  not  seem  to  have  been  settled."  ^  Indeed, 
according  to  the  Talmud,  as  quoted  by  Lightfoot  on 
Matt.  17  :  10,  Elijah  had  frequently  appeared  to  wise 
men  in  the  past.  The  question  of  the  three  disciples 
about  tjie  coming  of  Elijah,  as  they  came  down  from 
the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  was  a  most  natural 
and  obvious  one.  There  were  popular  expectations  of 
the  return  of  Jeremiah,  the  prophet  foretold  by  Moses, 
or  others  of  the  prophets,  and  some  even  looked  for 
several  forerunners.^  We  think  of  Isaiah  as  the  great- 
est of  the  prophets,  but  the  Jews  of  our  Lord's  time 
held  Elijah,  Jeremiah,  Daniel  to  be  first.  One  may 
note  the  popular  expectations  about  the  return  of 
Nero,  Barbarossa,  etc.  Edersheim  ("  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus,"  vol.  II,  Appendix  viii)  gives  a  good  sketch 
of  rabbinic  traditions  about  Elijah.  The  time  of  his 
coming  will  "be  a  time  of  genuine  repentance  by 
Israel." 

Wliat  was  the  original  meaning  of  Isaiah?     The 

'  John  1  :  21. 

2  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  222.  But  "John  had  no  sympathy 
with  the  popular  superstition  that  the  spirit  of  the  Tishbite  was  hovering 
on  the  hills  of  Judea,  waiting  for  a  new  embodiment"  (ibid,  p.  226). 

»  Matt.  11:3;   16  :  4;  John  1 :  21  f. 


CHALLENGE  49 

usual  interpretation  of  Isa.  40  : 3-5  quoted  by  Luke* 
is  that  the  picture  is  that  of  the  return  of  the  Jews 
from  exile  with  Jehovah  at  the  head  of  the  people  as 
they  enter  Jerusalem.^  The  custom  of  preparing  the 
road  for  the  Eastern  king  to  travel  is  probably  the 
basis  for  the  image  in  Isaiah.  But  Godet^  challenges 
the  ordinary  application  to  the  return  from  exile.  It 
is,  he  holds,  rather  God  who  comes  to  the  people  in 
their  cities.  The  people  are  called  upon  by  the 
courier  to  make  ready  the  road  by  which  the  monarch 
is  to  enter.  There  is  something  to  be  said  for  this 
view.  "Say  unto  the  cities  of  Judah,  Behold,  your 
God!  Behold,  the  Lord  Jehovah  will  come  a  mighty 
one,  and  his  arm  will  rule  for  him.  He  will  feed  his 
flock  like  a  shepherd,  he  will  gather  the  lambs  in  his 
arms,  and  carry  them  in  his  bosom,  and  will  gently 
lead  those  that  have  their  young."  ^ 

Jehovah  is  getting  ready  to  visit  the  cities  of  Israel. 
"Prepare  ye  in  the  wilderness  the  way  of  Jehovah," 
the  way  which  he  is  to  travel.  It  is  a  picture  of  grad- 
ing on  mountain  and  in  valley.  John  seizes  upon  this 
bold  picture  and  applies  it  to  himself.  It  was  a  per- 
fectly natural  use  of  it.  In  Isaiah  " in  the  wilderness" 
goes  with  "  prepare,"  and  that  is  possible  in  the  synop- 
tics, though  the  editors  generally  connect  it  with  "  cry- 
ing." Both  points  are  true.  The  preparation  was 
to  be  made  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  crying  was  the 
beginning  of  the  preparation.     "The  voice  of  one 

1  Matthew  and  Mark  quote  only  Isa.  40 :  3. 

2  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  37. 

3  "Commentary  on  Luke,"  p.  111. 
*  Isa.  40  :  10  f. 


50  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

saying,  Cry.  And  one  said,  What  shall  I  cry?"^ 
The  fire  was  in  John's  bones.  He  had  to  cry.  "  Be- 
hold, the  day  cometh,  it  burneth  as  a  furnace."  ^ 
Judgment  was  at  hand.  "Behold,  I  send  my  mes- 
senger, and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me:  and 
the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  will  suddenly  come  to  his 
temple."  ^  "  Behold,  I  will  send  Elijah  the  prophet 
before  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  come. 
And  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  chil- 
dren, and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  their  fathers; 
lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse."  ^  The 
first  word  in  the  New  Testament  is  the  promise  of 
Gabriel  to  Zacharias  that  this  promise  is  to  come 
true  at  once.  The  last  word  in  the  Old  Testament 
prophecy  is  that  about  Elijah's  return.  Behind  that 
promise  hung  suspended  the  impending  curse,  like  a 
Damascus  blade,  over  the  people  of  Israel.  Sud- 
denly a  voice  was  heard  in  the  wilderness  which 
claimed  to  be  that  of  Elijah!  Instantly  all  listened 
to  that  Voice.  Was  it  true  ?  Jesus  said  of  John  that 
he  was  Elijah  "if  ye  are  wilMng  to  receive  it"  (Matt. 
11  :  14).     But  are  the  Jews  willing  to  receive  it? 

Was  a  Forerunner  necessary?  If  one  is  disposed 
to  question  the  wisdom  of  the  mission  of  John  as  a 
herald  of  the  King,  let  him  reflect  on  what  would 
have  been  the  reception  accorded  to  Jesus  without 
the  preparation  made  by  the  Baptist.  "He  came 
unto   his   own^   and   his   own^  received   him   not."  ^ 

»Isa.  40:6.  2  Mai.  4  :  1.  3  Mai.  3:1.  <  Mai.  4  :  5  f. 

^  eis  Ta  tfiia.  His  own  places,  his  own  haunts,  his  home.  Of.  ei?  -ra  ISia 
for  "home,"  in  John  19:  27. 

6  ot  iStot.     His  own  people,  the  Jews.  '  John  1:11. 


CHALLENGE  51 

They  rejected  him  after  all?  Yes,  but  John  pre- 
pared some  soil  for  the  Messiah's  sowing.  Those  who 
first  responded  to  Jesus  came  from  the  group  of  John's 
disciples/  The  people  will  go  from  John  to  Jesus.^ 
The  people  will  recognize  and  believe  in  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah  because  of  what  John  had  said.^  We  know 
how  quick  the  authorities  in  Jerusalem  were  to  resent 
the  assumption  of  Jesus  as  it  was/  Brief  as  was  the 
ministry  of  Jesus,  it  probably  lasted  as  long  as  it  did, 
humanly  speaking,  because  of  the  ministry  of  John. 
He  in  a  sense  held  off  the  "hour"  of  Jesus  till  Christ 
had  at  least  had  a  hearing  by  people  and  leaders. 
Besides  the  keenest  interest  was  excited  in  the  subject 
of  the  Messiah.  The  masses  began  to  wonder  wist- 
fully in  their  hearts  if  haply  John^  were  not  the  Mes- 
siah himself.  He  served  to  rekindle  the  flame  of 
Messianic  expectation  that  had  burned  very  low. 
The  Sadducees  had  given  up  all  hope  of  a  Messiah. 
During  the  glorious  Maccabean  rule  the  Pharisees  had 
blazed  with  patriotic  hopes  of  a  political  Messiah  who 
should  make  a  great  Jewish  kingdom  all  over  the 
world.^  But  the  heel  of  Rome  now  pressed  upon  the 
neck  of  the  Jew.  Already  there  was  the  smouldering 
fire  that  later  burnt  into  lurid  flame  against  Rome. 
The  Zealots  had  vowed  vengeance  against  Rome. 
The  spiritual  features  of  the  Messiah  as  portrayed  in 
the  Old  Testament  had  faded  from  the  mind  of  most. 
The  Jews  were  sunk  in  formalism  and  secularism. 
The  hopelessness  of  the  people  at  large  concerning  ? 

1  John  1 :  35  ff.  2  John  3  :  26.  s  John  10  :  40-42. 

*  John  2  :  13-25.  ^  (i-q  n-ore  airo^  eli)  6  XP"'"'''*'?. 

6  Cf.  "The  Psalms  of  Solomon." 


52  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Messiah  is  seen  in  the  wailing  note  in  I  Maccabees, 
three  times*  to  the  effect  that  there  was  no  prophet  in 
Israel.  So  it  was  with  most  minds,  till  John's  voice 
was  heard  in  the  wilderness;  the  Messianic  hope  was 
inoperative.  The  Zealots  had  given  the  world  up  as 
lost.  There  were  a  few,  like  Simeon  and  Anna,^  who 
were  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel.^  The 
Christian  movement  began  with  John.  The  ground 
was  made  ready  by  him.  Jesus  may  have  had  John 
in  mind  when  he  spoke  of  the  one  who  sows  and  the 
one  who  reaps  who  have  joy  together."*  John  came 
not  merely  to  prepare  men's  minds  for  the  Messiah, 
but  their  lives  also.  If  the  Messiah  comes,  who  is 
worthy  to  go  forth  to  greet  him? 

5.  The  Startling  Proclamation. — It  may  be  said  that 
it  is  not  hard  to  set  a  nation  on  fire.  One  may  recall 
Martin  Luther,  whose  theses  spread  like  wildfire,  or 
John  Wesley's  preaching,  which  blazed  like  a  torch 
all  over  England.^  John  did  no  miracle^  with  which 
to  startle  the  people  or  attract  attention.  He  probably 
came  with  some  reputation  for  piety  because  of  his  life 
of  seclusion  in  the  desert,  and  some  few  may  have 
known  about  his  remarkable  birth.  But  John's  great 
impression  was  not  due  to  any  special  predisposition  on 
the  part  of  the  people  to  hear  him  nor  to  personal 
peculiarities.  These  matters  chimed  in  with  his  claim 
to  be  the  Forerunner.^    It  is  a  superficial  view  (Strauss) 

»  4:  46;  9:27;  14:41.  2  Luke  2  :  23-38. 

3  Some  were  driven  by  the  very  miseries  of  the  time  to  long  for  the 
Messiah  (Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh.  ^'  p.  27). 

*  iVa  6  aneipoiv  ofiov  x*'P17  "*'  o  i^epi'^tov.      3ohn  4  :  36. 

6  Lange,  "  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  pp.  9  f.  ^  John  10  :  41. 

'  Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  27. 


CHALLENGE  53 

to  say  that  John  shrewdly  discerned  the  signs  of  the 
times,  and  proclaimed  himself  the  Forerunner  because 
he  saw  that  the  people  were  eager  for  the  Messianic 
era/  It  was  the  preaching  of  John  that  drew  the 
crowds,  that  startled  the  people  of  his  time.  He  had 
a  message  that  always  wins  "  a  response  in  the  human 
heart — sin  and  judgment,  repentance  and  forgiveness"  ^ 
We  have  only  scraps  and  fragments  of  that  message, 
hardly  two  pages  in  all.  But  that  cry  of  John  is  still 
heard  wherever  the  gospel  goes.  We  shall  need  to 
study  a  little  more  in  detail  the  elements  of  his  power 
as  a  preacher  and  the  various  doctrines  enunciated  by 
him.  Just  here  we  are  concerned  with  his  funda- 
mental proclamation:  "Repent  ye;  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand."  ^  The  words  rang  out  sharp 
and  clear  and  echoed  throughout  Judea.  Jesus  him- 
self ^  will  take  up  the  same  watchword  as  he  begins  the 
Galilean  ministry.  The  watchword  of  Jesus^  was 
"  believe,"  it  is  true,  but  none  the  less  he  took  up  this 
great  word  of  John  and  passed  it  on.  It  was  a  more 
virile  word®  than  our  translation  "repent."  It  was 
really,  "Change  your  mind  (life)."  We  shall  need  to 
return  to  this  word  in  the  next  chapter.  The  call  to 
repent  challenged  attention  at  once.  John  had  the 
moral  earnestness  to  demand  a  new  life  on  the  part  of 
his  audience.  They  listened  with  respect.  But  it 
was  the  second  part  of  his  proclamation  that  sent  a 
thrill  through  the  great  crowds.     "For  the  kingdom 

1  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  312. 

2 Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  27. 

'Matt.  3:2.  *  Matt.  4  :  17;  Mark  1 :  15. 

B  Bruce  on  Matt.  3:2.  «  fieravoelTe. 


54  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  heaven*  is  at  hand."  He  mentions  this  as  a  rea- 
son for  instant  repentance  on  the  part  of  the  people. 
The  old  prophets  had  urged  repentance,  but  they 
had  not  been  able  to  say  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
had  come  nigh.  The  Talmud  reports  the  rabbis  as 
saying:  "If  Israel  would  repent  but  for  a  single  day, 
forthwith  the  Redeemer  will  come."  ^  Now  at  last 
the  kingdom,  the  long-promised  kingdom,  is  hover- 
ing near.  Will  the  people  repent?  How  near  is  the 
kingdom  ?  John  says  literally:  "  Has  drawn  near."  ^ 
It  is  more  specious  than  true  to  say  that  John  (and 
Jesus)  felt  that  the  kingdom  was  still  in  the  future. 
Some  aspects  of  the  kingdom,  the  eschatological 
features,  were  still  future.  But  the  more  vital  and 
spiritual  phases  of  the  kingdom  were  felt  by  both 
John  and  Jesus  to  be  already  present.  By  "king- 
dom" John  means  "reign."  The  "reign  of  heaven 
has  drawn  near."  A  fuller  treatment  of  "kingdom" 
will  come  later.  Surely  the  note  of  warning  is  here 
sounded  by  John.  The  day  of  judgment  for  Israel 
has  come.  The  only  hope  is  in  repentance.  The 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  throws  a  lurid  light  back  on 
John's  words.  Jesus  himself  connected  that  dire  ca- 
lamity with  the  city's  rejection  of  him.^  What  startled 
the  people  was  not  so  much  that  the  day  of  doom  hung 


1  Matthew  alone  has  this  phrase.  Mark  and  Luke  have  "  Kingdom  of 
God."  Allen  ("  Commentary  on  Matthew  ")  insists  on  a  real  difference  of 
content.  But  he  is  pretty  certainly  wrong.  "  Heaven  "  seems  to  be  "a 
reverential  substitute  of  the  later  Jews  for  God"  (Smith,  "Days  of  His 
Flesh,"  p.  27).  Cf.  Bruce  on  Matt.  3:  2;  Dalman,  "Words  of  Jesus," 
pp.  91  ff.;   Lightfoot  and  Wetstein  on  Matt.  3 :  2. 

2  "  Hieros.  Taan.."  64,  1.  Cf.  Lightfoot  on  Matt.  3  :  2.  Quoted  by 
Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  28, 

3  ^yyiKev.     Cf.  Matt.  26  :  45  f .  «  Matt.  24  and  25. 


CHALLENGE  55 

in  the  background  as  that  the  Messianic  era  had  ar- 
rived/ The  wild  delight  of  Andrew  as  he  ran  to 
Simon  and  cried :^  "We  have  found  the  Messiah," 
helps  us  to  understand  the  enthusiasm  that  was  cre- 
ated by  the  wonderful  words  of  John.  Brother  would 
tell  brother  what  he  had  heard,  neighbor  would  tell 
neighbor  this  real  "news."  Old  men,  like  Simeon, 
would  thank  God  that  they  had  lived  to  see  this  day, 
this  day  so  long  in  coming.  They  would  gather  in 
groups  to  talk  it  over.  Each  one  felt  that  he  must 
hear  the  new  prophet  for  himself.  In  each  heart  "  the 
kingdom  of  heaven"  was  interpreted  to  mean  what  he 
most  wished.  The  rainbow  of  promise  was  stretched 
over  each  life.  At  first  the  intense  curiosity  excited 
probably  served  to  divert  attention  from  John's  stern 
call  to  repent.  He  was  the  sensation  of  the  time.^ 
He  was  a  "phenomenon"  in  the  real  sense  of  that 
much-abused  term. 

6.  Jerusalem  at  John^s  Feet. — John,  like  Jeremiah 
and  Ezekiel,  was  of  a  priestly  family.  But  he  made 
no  appeal  for  more  attention  to  the  Levitical  rites  and 
sacrifices.  He  had  caught  the  spirit  of  God  in  Hosea :  ^ 
"  I  will  have  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice."  This  was  the 
figure  of  exaggerated  contrast  to  emphasize  the  supe- 
riority of  the  spiritual  over  the  ceremonial.  This  the 
rabbis  and  priests  of  Christ's  time  failed  to  under- 
stand.    Jesus  rebuked  them  for  their  ignorance  on 

1  Nourse.  in  "  Standard  Bible  Dictionary." 

2  John  1 :  41.     ^vprjKafiev  tov  Mearaiav.     Cf.  1 :  45,  Philip  to  Nathanael, 
'  "John  the  Baptist,  in  his  manifestation  and  energy,  was  like  a  burning 

torch;    his  public  life  was  quite  an  earthquake — the  whole  man  was  a 
sermon"  (Lange,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  11). 
!  6 :  6. 


56  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

this  point.  "Go  ye  and  learn  what  this  meaneth." 
John  had  learned.  He  stands  out  above  his  time  be- 
cause he  had  grasped  spiritual  values. 

It  perhaps  does  not  seem  strange,  under  all  the 
circumstances,  that  great  crowds  thronged  to  hear 
the  Baptist.  Twenty  thousand  people  would  gather 
to  hear  George  Whitfield  and  be  melted  to  tears. ^ 
The  excitable  crowds  in  Palestine  "gathered  around 
Simon,  Athronges,  and  Judas  of  Galilee,  and  even 
such  a  miserable  impostor  as  Theudas."  ^  Luke 
merely  speaks  of  "the  multitudes  that  kept  going 
forth."  ^  Mark  notes  that  "  all  the  country  of  Judea  " 
joined  in  "  this  exodus  to  the  Jordan."  ^  Judea  is 
personified.  A  living  stream  kept  going  forth^  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  Matthew  notes  in  particu- 
lar that  "all  the  region  round  about  Jordan"  came. 
This  was  most  natural  of  all.  The  common  peo- 
ple took  John  to  be  a  prophet  even  long  after  his 
death.^  They  recognized  the  genuine^  prophet  in 
John.  All  classes  came,  including  the  most  degraded, 
the  publicans  and  harlots.^  These  "justified  God"  * 
because  of  the  moral  earnestness  of  John.  "  The  chief 
need  of  the  world  is  the  death-defying  courage  of  true 

»  Smith,  "  In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh."  p.  28. 

2  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  pp.  167  f.  "The  multitude  clung  with  con- 
vulsive hope  or  despairing  frenzy  to  almost  anyone  who  seemed  to  promise 
any  form  or  possibility  of  emancipation — to  Hyrcanus;  to  the  beautiful 
young  High  Priest  Aristobulus;  to  the  impostor  Alexander;  to  Agrippa  I.; 
— some  Jews  even  regarded  Herod  the  Great  as  a  divinely  appointed 
Deliverer"  (ibid.). 

3  Toi?  nopevoixevoL^  ox^oi?.  *  Swete  on  Mark  1 :  5. 
6  €^e7rop€veTo.     Descriptive  imperfect. 

6  Matt.  21 :  26,  32.     Hence  the  rulers  are  afraid. 

7  Mark  11 :  32.     The  word  ovtws  is  added. 

8  Luke  7  :  29. 

9  iSiKaioicrav.  Took  John's  Side  against  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers. 
Luke  7 :  30. 


CHALLENGE  57 

men."  ^  The  Jewish  notion  of  a  prophet  was  that  of 
a  fearless  preacher  more  than  that  of  a  mere  seer.^ 
The  truth  shines  forth  from  the  true  prophet  as  the 
light  from  the  sun.^  Josephus^  bears  testimony  to 
the  power  of  John  with  the  people  who  "came  in 
crowds  about  him,  for  they  were  very  greatly  moved 
[or  pleased]  by  hearing  his  words,"  "  for  they  seemed 
ready  to  do  anything  he  should  advise."  Herod, 
Josephus  adds,  "feared  lest  the  great  influence  John 
had  over  the  people  might  put  it  into  his  power  and 
inclination  to  raise  a  rebellion."  Surely  no  greater 
tribute  to  the  power  of  John  over  the  people  could  be 
given.^  There  was  in  truth  prodigious  excitement. 
"From  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  until  now  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence  and  men  of 
violence  take  it  by  force."  ®  It  is  not  perfectly  clear 
what  this  language  of  Jesus  means,  but  he  seems  to 
have  in  mind  the  intense  moral  earnestness^  of  those 
who  thronged  around  John,  and  later  around  himself. 
In  Luke  the  bold  figure  is  softened  a  bit,^  and  yet  each 
man  has  a  moral  conflict  who  enters  the  kingdom.^ 
"  People  no  longer  merely  prophesy  and  dream  about 
it,  but  they  press  to  win  entrance  into  it."  ^^  John 
himself  was  the  noblest  example  of  this  moral  en- 
thusiasm, and  it  was  contagious. 

1  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  p.  171. 

2  Geike,  "  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  voL  I,  p.  393. 

3  Clement  of  Alexandria,  Horn,  ii,  6. 
*  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2. 

5  This  testimony  of  Josephus  to  John  is  challenged  by  some,  but  on 
insufficient  grounds.  Its  bearing  on  the  gospel  account  of  the  death  of 
John  comes  up  later.  «  Matt.  11 :  12. 

'  /Staferat,  koI  /Siourrat  apnd^ov<Tt,v  avrrji'.  *  evayyeKi^erai.. 

8  Luke  16  :  16.      was  eis  avrrtv  /Siaferai. 

10  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  121. 


58  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

'  But  one  must  not  think  that  all  the  people  who 
came  responded  rightly  to  John's  tremendous  appeal. 
Luke,  indeed,  represents  John  as  denouncing  the 
multitudes  who  came  as  "  offspring  of  vipers."  ^  Mat- 
thew^ probably  more  exactly  defines  "the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees"  as  those  to  whom  this  fierce  denun- 
ciation is  addressed.  But  there  were  probably  scof- 
fers in  the  crowd  then,  as  now,  who  shared  with  the 
leaders  this  hostile  attitude  toward  the  new  prophet 
on  the  Jordan.  "No  doubt  the  effect  on  many  of 
the  people  was  superficial,  and  chiefly  associated  with 
secular  conceptions  of  the  Messianic  reign.  The  am- 
bitious began  to  dream  of  place  and  power  ('Who 
shall  be  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven?'),  the 
self-indulgent  to  cherish  hopes  that  the  new  king 
would  *  destroy  the  law  or  the  prophets,'  and  give  new 
laws  less  severe,  the  poor  to  hope  for  better  times 
somehow."  ^  The  effect  on  most  of  the  crowd  was 
electric.  "Along  the  mountain  terraces  and  rugged 
foot-tracks,  the  eager  surging  crowd  were  asking  the 
question.  What  shall  we  do  ? "  ^ 

But  the  most  astonishing  thing  remains  to  be  dis- 
cussed. "All  they  of  Jerusalem"^  went  forth  also. 
It  was  one  thing  for  the  Am-ha-aretZy  the  people  from 
the  county  and  the  provinces,  to  go  out  to  hear  John. 
But  "conservative,  disdainful  Jerusalem,  slow  to  be 
touched  by  new  popular  influences,"  ^  was  quite 
another  matter.     Bruce   continues:    "The  remark- 

13:7.  23:7. 

8  John  A.  Broadus,  in  manuscript  notes  on  John  the  Baptist. 

4  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  254. 

6  Mark  1 :  5.     Of.  Matt.  3  :  5. 

•  Bruce  on  Matt.  3 :  5. 


CHALLENGE  59 

able  thing  is  that  any  came  from  that  quarter." 
Proud,  imperious  Jerusalem  was  accustomed  to  have 
pilgrims  come  to  her  gates.  But  now  the  crowds 
swept  out  of  her  gates  to  the  wilderness.  "What 
went  ye  out  into  the  wilderness  to  behold  ?  *'  ^  Jesus 
will  ask.  There  is  fine  irony  in  the  question.  He 
has  in  mind  the  point  *of  view  of  the  multitudes,  to  be 
sure,  who  in  light-hearted  curiosity  tripped  out  to  see 
the  new  sensation.  John  was  anything  but  a  reed 
shaken  in  the  wind.  He  was  not  clad  in  soft  raiment. 
He  was  a  prophet  and  they  were  right  in  that,  but  he 
was  a  great  deal  more.  He  was  a  man.  At  bottom 
a  real  man  is  more  than  prophet  or  priest  or  king. 
Probably  the  people  of  Jerusalem  were  simply  carried 
away  with  the  tide.  Many  came  with  an  apologetic 
air,  half  ashamed  to  be  caught  in  such  a  motley 
crowd. 

But  why  did  the  leaders  go?  John  will  himself 
demand  an  answer  to  that  very  question.^  "Who 
warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?  "  Doubt- 
less they  had  come  from  no  such  motive.  For  one 
thing  they  wished  to  see  what  there  was  in  this  new 
prophet.  They  followed  the  crowd,  which  had  left 
Jerusalem.  They  may  have  argued  that  they  were 
responsible  for  the  guidance  of  the  people.  In  time^ 
the  Sanhedrin  will  come  to  take  the  work  of  John 
seriously  as  we  shall  see.  They  will  be  driven  to  it 
by  the  popular  tide.  But,  at  any  rate,  the  religious 
teachers  of  the  time  are  spectators  in  the  prophet's 
great  throng.     The  religious  capital  of  Judea  is  no 

»  Matt.  11:7:  Luke  7:  24.  2  Matt.  3  :  7.  3Johnl:19ff. 


60  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

longer  Jerusalem,  but  for  the  moment  with  John. 
His  sceptre  is  his  voice,  and  with  it  he  sways  the 
multitude. 

Perhaps  at  first  the  leaders  did  not  comprehend 
John.  They  were  dazed  and  even  for  a  time  charmed 
by  his  power.  Jesus  later  reminded  the  Jerusalem 
leaders  of  this  fact.  "Ye  were  willing  to  rejoice  for 
a  season  in  his  light."  ^  John  was  the  popular  idol 
and  the  leaders  fell  in  with  the  drift  of  opinion.  John 
had  his  "hour"  ^  of  glory  even  with  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities.  Jesus  reminds  them  also  of  the  formal 
embassy^  from  the  Sanhedrin.  They  were  probably 
ashamed  of  that  moment  of  weakness.  But,  before 
John  had  opened  fire  upon  them,  they  basked  in  the 
light  of  his  fame  and  power.  Many  a  new  pastor  has 
John's  experience.  At  first  he  is  the  lion  of  the  town, 
the  hero  of  the  hour,  but  the  tide  turns  against  him 
and  the  powerful  friends  drop  away.  It  was  really 
"exulting  joy"  that  the  Jerusalem  leaders  once  had 
in  John.^  There  was  in  truth  light  enough  in  John 
for  even  Jerusalem  to  enjoy,  if  only  Jerusalem  had 
eyes  to  see.  "He  was  the  lamp  that  burneth  and 
shineth."  ^  Out  in  the  wilderness  this  light  blazed 
till  it  was  seen  in  Jerusalem.  It  burned  on  after  his 
death,  burns,  indeed,  to-day.  There  was  both  heat 
and  light  in  John.  The  impression  on  the  rulers  was 
temporary,  but  his  light  in  the  world  of  truth  will 
never  go  out. 

*  John  5  :  35.  2  „p^,.  ijpav, 

*  John  5  :  33,  an€<rTa\KaT€.     It  was  Still  a  fact. 

*  Cf.  Westcott  on  John  5  :  35,  ayaWia^^vai. 

6  John  5  :  35,  6  AU^vos  6  /catofAej'OS  xai  <^aiV(o»'. 


CHALLENGE  61 

7.  The  Sins  of  the  People  Laid  Bare. — Luke^  has 
preserved  a  specimen  of  John's  preaching  that  goes 
far  to  explain  the  wonderful  effect  of  his  ministry. 
On  two  short  pages  can  be  printed  all  that  has  been 
preserved  of  the  words  of  John.  Luke  is  familiar  with 
the  fact  that  John  made  many  other  exhortations.^ 
He  probably  had  reports  of  some  of  them,  and  made 
these  brief  extracts  as  justly  reflecting  the  style  and 
temper  of  the  man.  They  do  this  with  remarkable 
effectiveness.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  genuine- 
ness of  these  fragments.  They  ring  true  and  fairly 
tingle  with  life  and  power.  They  are  in  reality  words 
that  breathe  and  burn.  He  preached  "the  good 
tidings  unto  the  people/'  ^  but  he  did  not  confine  him- 
self to  one  particular  line.^  John  challenged  the  life 
of  the  people  along  the  whole  line  of  its  mere  cere- 
monialism, its  indifference  to  real  religion,  its  corrup- 
tion. He  was  a  reformer,  but  more.  With  a  proph- 
et's tongue  he  lashed  the  sins  of  those  in  high  stations 
as  well  as  in  low. 

One  day,  when  John  had  spoken  with  unusual 
vehemence  and  power,  the  multitudes^  began  to  ask:^ 
"What  then  must^  we  do?"  The  "then"  (odv) 
points  back  to  John's  indictment.     His  words  had  cut 

1  3 :  10-14.  Not  in  Matthew,  but  still  probably  from  Q  (the  logia), 
unless,  indeed,  there  was  a  special  document  with  sayings  of  the  Baptist. 

2  3 :  18.     iroWa  /cal  eVepa  rather  implies  that  they  were  not  all  just  like 


3  €VT)YveAi^€To.  In  Luke  3:19  note  eKeyxofievo^.  He  exhorted,  he  preached 
the  good  tidings,  he  reproved. 

*  TrapaKttAwv,  in  Luke  3  :  18,  is  a  difiBcult  word  to  translate.  It  means, 
literally,  to  call  to  one's  side  (irapd). 

6  oi  oxAoi.     The  plural  shows  how  great  the  throngs  were. 

6  etrijpwTwv  (3  :  10).  Inchoative  imperfect.  Plummer  takes  it  as  repe- 
tition. 

'  iroc^<rw|u.ev.    Deliberative  subjunctive. 


62  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

to  the  quick.  This  "Incarnate  Conscience"  had 
reached  the  conscience  of  his  hearers.  That  is  a 
great  moment  in  the  preacher's  life  when  he  is  called 
on  to  speak  straight  to  the  sin-smitten  and  conscience- 
stricken  soul.  But  one  must  be  sure  not  to  misun- 
derstand John's  reply.  He  assumes  that  his  hearers 
understand  his  teaching  about  repentance  and  the 
kingdom.  The  practical  repiy  given  about  generosity 
is  not  to  take  the  place  of  the  grace  of  repentance,  but 
is  to  be  a  proof  of  it.  The  same  point  applies  to  his 
reply  to  the  publicans  and  the  soldiers  who  likewise 
asked  what  they  must  do.'"  It  is  reformation  that  John 
here  demands  as  proof  of  repentance.  He  put  his 
finger  upon  the  besetting  sin  of  each  class  that  came 
before  him.  But  John  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  to 
lay  bare  the  sin  that  needed  exposure.  It  was  ex- 
tortion with  the  publicans,  violence  and  oppression 
with  the  soldiers.  Travellers  frequently  wore  two  un- 
dergarments.* It  is  one  of  these  that  John  suggests 
may  be  given  to  him  who  has  none.  The  starving 
man  is  not  to  be  left  without  help.^  The  publicans^ 
were  thoroughly  detested  by  the  Jews  "as  blood- 
suckers for  a  heathen  conqueror."  ^  Zacchseus  ad- 
mitted that  he  had  robbed  the  people.^  Those  who 
collected  for  Herod  Antipas  were  as  much  disliked  as 
those  who  collected  for  Caesar.^  The  soldiers  were 
probably  Jewish  soldiers  who  may  have  been  acting 

1  XiTuv,  not  ifioLTtov  (the  outer  garment), 

2  Of.  the  conduct  of  the  priest  and  the  Levite  in  the  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan  (Luke  10  :  30-37).     Cf.  I  Thess.  2  :  8. 

3  TeAwvac  are  publicani. 

*  Plummer  on  Luke,  p.  91. 

6  Luke  19:8.  e  Matt.  9  :  9  ff . 


CHALLENGE  03 

as  police  to  assist  the  tax-collectors.^  But  intimida- 
tion ("do  violence  to  no  man"  ^)  and  false  accusation 
("neither  exact  anything  wrongfully,"  marg.  "ac- 
cuse" ^)  were  just  the  crimes  that  soldiers  would  be 
guilty  of.  Soldiers  are  notoriously  prone  to  discontent 
with  their  wages."*  John  does  not  denounce  the  call- 
ing of  publican  and  soldier  jper  se.  Taxes  have  to  be 
collected.  Soldiers  have  to  defend  their  country  so 
long  as  the  horror  of  war  exists.  But  he  demanded 
morality  in  these  men. 

8.  Exposure  of  the  Religious  Teachers. — Matthew® 
and  Luke®  both  report  this  fragment  of  John's  preach- 
ing. There  may  have  been  a  document  about  John's 
ministry,  or  the  original,  virile  preaching  of  John  may 
have  been  handed  down  from  mouth  to  mouth. 
Matthew  is  more  specific  than  Luke  in  mentioning 
"many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees"  who  came. 
These  two  religious  parties  disliked  one  another  very 
much,  but  they  are  both  deserving  of  John's  condemna- 
tion.^ They  will  later  be  found  working  hand  in 
hand  to  compass  the  death  of  Jesus.  For  the  moment 
they  bury  their  theological  differences  and  rivalry  for 
place  and  power  in  the  common  curiosity  about  John.^ 

*  ffTparevofievoi.  Cf.  Plummer,  in  loco.  Schuerer  thinks  that  they  were 
heathen  soldiers, 

2  fa-qSeva  StaureCffriire.  The  aor.  subj.  with  fxr)  puts  the  matter  delicately 
as  if  they  were  not  yet  guilty.  Cf.  Ill  Mace.  3 :  21  for  this  verb  with  the 
sense  of  extortion. 

^  avKo^avTriariTe.  Etymologically,  "show  figs  by  shaking  the  tree" 
(Plummer).  The  false  accuser  who  wishes  to  obtain  money.  Cf.  Zac- 
chaeus,  in  Luke  19  :  8,  who  uses  this  word  of  himself. 

*  oi^wvioi?  equals  "rations"  (oxf/ov,  taveofiat).         »  3  :  7-10.         «  3  :  7-9. 
'  The  single  article  twv,  in  Matt.  3  :  7,  treats  both  classes  as  one. 

8  For  discussion  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  see  Wellhausen,  "  Die 
Pharisaer  und  die  Sadducaer;  Schuerer,"  second  division,  vol.  II,  pp.  1-43 
(where  see  Bibliography);  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I, 
pp.  93  ff.;   Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  pp.  44  ff.,  etc. 


64  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

"The  formal  piety  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  self- 
indulgent  scepticism  of  the  Sadducees  would  be 
equally  hateful  to  him,  and  he  meets  them  with  in- 
dignant surprise."  *  Indeed,  his  sensitive  spirit  was 
troubled  by  their  presence  as  is  often  the  case  with 
sincere  natures  like  John.  They  instinctively  recoil 
from  such  duplicity  and  craftiness  as  is  seen  in  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees.^  John  himself  was  of 
priestly  stock  like  the  Sadducees;  but  he  made  no 
claims  to  recognition  on  that  score.  Some  have  won- 
dered how  John  would  know  these  pious  ecclesiastics 
in  the  great  crowds.  He  co'uld  tell  partly  by  their 
dress,  partly  by  their  conduct,  and  partly  by  an  in- 
stinctive feeling  of  hostility.  It  was  John's  business 
to  know  the  life  of  his  time  which  he  had  arraigned. 
He  was  no  recluse  in  the  sense  that  he  held  himself 
aloof  from  the  currents  of  thought  and  shut  his  eyes 
to  what  was  going  on  before  him.  He  may  have  felt 
that  these  dignitaries  had  come  to  lay  hands  on  him.^ 
The  authorities  in  Jerusalem  may  have  wished  to  get 
control  *  of  the  movement,  having  sent  deputies  to 
spy  upon  it  and  report.  Such  an  embassy  was  sent 
to  John  from  Jerusalem  according  to  the  Fourth 
Gospel,  though  probably  not  at  the  time  of  this  dis- 
course.^ However,  it  must  be  remembered  that  these 
fragments  in  Matthew  and  Luke  have  no  notes  of 

1  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  2?. 

*  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  82.  '  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  27. 

♦Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  29.  But  Keim  ("Jesus  of 
Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  264)  thinks  that  the  hierarchy  kept  very  quiet  be- 
fore John. 

5  Keim  ("Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  265)  denies  the  value  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel  because  the  other  gospels  do  not  give  it.  But  Matthew 
certainly  shows  that  it  was  possible. 


CHALLENGE  65 

time  at  all  save  that  it  was  during  the  six  months 
before  the  baptism  of  Jesus. 

John  does  not  fear  the  religious  leaders  of  the  time. 
He  turns  on  them  with  an  indignant  question:  "Ye 
offspring  of  vipers,  who  warned  you  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come?"  The  point  of  the  figure  lies  in  the  , 
"  fleeing,"  not  in  calling  them  "  offspring  of  vipers."  ^ ; 
Often  John  had  seen  the  vipers  run  before  the  blaz-/ 
ing  dry-scrub^  (like  a  prairie  fire)  as  before  the  burn- 
ing stubble  in  preparation  for  sowing.^  There  was  a 
touch  of  grim  humor'*  in  the  picture  as  well  as  of 
scorn.  "  The  wrath  to  come  "  was  judgment  on  Israel. 
The  rabbis  held  that  the  judgment  foretold  as  con- 
nected with  the  Messianic  Dispensation  was  to  be 
upon  the  heathen,  but  John  saw  that  it  was  to  include 
the  Jews  also.^  How  clear  the  content  or  nature  of 
this  judgment  was  to  John's  mind  we  do  not  know. 
But  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  a  natural  fulfil- 
ment which  itself  is  a  type  of  the  final  judgment.® 
But  it  is  not  possible  to  soften  the  sting  in  the  expres- 
sion "offspring  of  vipers."^  Jesus  will  twice  use  it 
concerning  the  Pharisees.^  "  These  serpent-like  char- 
acters" are  "the  crooked"  ^  of  Isaiah.  John  caught 
the  metaphor  fresh  from  the  life  of  the  wilderness  and 
hurled  it  in  the  faces  of  the  professional  religionists  of 
Jerusalem.     It  stung  like  the  tail  of  a  whip. 

1  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  82. 

2  G.  A.  Smith,  "  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine,"  p.  495. 

3  Furrer,  "Zeitschrift  fiir  Miss.  und.  Rel.,"  1890. 
*  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  82. 

B  Plummer  on  Luke,  p.  89.     Cf.  Joel  2  :  31;  Mai.  3:2;  4:1;  Isa.  13 :  9. 
6  Plummer,  ibid. 

1  yevvrnxara.  exi^Svlav,  broods  of  snakes.  «  Matt.  12  :  34;  23  :  33. 

9  0-KoAta  (Isa.  40  :  4  f.).     Cf.  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p.  89. 


66  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  IS  not  entirely  hopeless  of  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  unlikely  pupils  as  they  are.  There  is  an 
innuendo  at  their  insincerity  and  hypocrisy/  They 
had  heard  John's  word  about  repentance.  John  does 
not  say  that  they  must  reform  in  order  to  repent. 
The  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  must  prove  their  re- 
pentance by  their  life.  That  is  true  of  all  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  but  John  singles  them  out  in  this  demand  be- 
cause of  their  prominence  and  their  duplicity.  It  was 
virtually  saying  that  in  the  eyes  of  men  they  were 
under  suspicion.  It  was  the  appeal  to  life  that  was 
later  made  by  Jesus,^  by  James/  by  Paul,^  by  Peter/ 
by  John  the  Apostle.^ 

The  Baptist  shows  a  masterful  comprehension  of 
the  mental  processes  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees. 
They  would  fall  back  upon  privilege  and  station. 
Racial  and  ecclesiastical  pride  were  combined  in  the 
Jew.  John  shows  his  knowledge  of  current  rabbin- 
ism  by  this  protest.  The  rabbis  made  much  of  the 
"merits  of  the  fathers"  and  in  particular  of  Abraham. 
Edersheim'  has  brought  together  an  interesting  set 
of  quotations  from  the  Talmud  on  the  subject.  The 
rain  fell  because  of  the  merit  of  Abraham;  the  ships 
on  the  sea  were  preserved  because  of  him;  because  of 
Abraham  Moses  received  the  law;  for  his  sake  Daniel 
was  heard;  for  his  sake  every  Israelite  will  have  part 
in  the  world  to  come.  John's  stern  rebuke  against 
all  the  traditional  nonsense  was  a  reajBfirmation  of  the 


1  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  28;  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  83. 

2  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  s  Epistle. 
*  Rom.  6-8;  Gal.  4  and  5.  ^  Epistles.  6 1  John. 
'  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  pp.  271  f. 


CHALLENGE  67 

eternal  moral  law.^  He  passed  by  all  the  myriad 
pettifogging  rules  and  punctilios  of  the  Pharisees  and 
called  them  to  a  sense  of  their  personal  relation  to 
God.  Like  the  snail  in  the  Hindoo  proverb  which 
sees  nothing  but  its  own  shell  and  thinks  it  the 
grandest  place  in  the  universe,^  so  these  self-satisfied 
Jews  made  continual  boast  of  descent  from  Abraham.^ 
It  is  probably  true  that  the  horizon  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist was  narrower  than  that  of  Paul,  but  Paul  himself 
never  saw  more  clearly  the  distinction  between  the 
merely  ceremonial  and  the  spiritual  and  moral  than 
did  John  on  this  occasion.  Jesus,  Stephen,  Paul  were 
all  to  sound  this  same  note  and  meet  the  bitter  hos- 
tility of  the  Pharisees.^  There  is  a  slight  variation  in 
Matthew's  report  of  John's  protest  and  that  of  Luke. 
Matthew  says  "Think  not'';  ^  Luke  has  " Begin  not"^ 
to  say.  But  the  difference  is  merely  verbal.  One 
forbids  the  beginning  of  the  utterance,  the  other  the 
thought  behind  the  utterance. 

John  leaves  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  with  a 
warning.  "Even  now  is  the  axe  laid  unto  the  root 
of  the  trees."  ^  The  axe  is  then  ready  for  use.  The 
point  lies  in  the  "even  now"  (already),  little  as  they 
think  so.  The  axe  is  invisible  (to  them),  but  it  is 
there.     All  that  is  needed  is  for  the  woodman  to  lift 


«  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  p.  173.  2  Ihid.,  p.  172. 

3Cf.  Josephus,  "Ant.,"  iii,  5,  3;  II  Esdr.  6:56  ff.;  Josh.  8 :  33,  53; 
James,  2  :  21;  Wetstein  on  Matt.  3  :  9. 

<  Of.  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  pp.  253  f. 

5 /uiT)  B6^i)Ti  keyeiv.  Moulton  ("Prolegomena,"  p.  15)  thinks  that  Luke 
made  a  deliberate  improvement  of  the  Aramaic  original. 

'  /nTj  ap^Yjo-i^e  \dyet.v. 

'  ^6tj  6e (celrai  (Matt.  3 :  10).    The  two  emphatic  words  are  furthest 

apart.     Kelrai.  is  used  as  the  perfect  passive  of  Ti^yfiii. 


68  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  axe  and  cut  the  tree.  The  chief  value  of  a  tree 
(olive  or  fig,  for  instance)  in  the  East  is  the  fruit  which 
it  bears.  Jesus  used  the  figure  of  the  barren  fig-tree 
to  the  same  purpose.^  The  woodman  had  come  and 
waited  a  little  in  hope  of  still  obtaining  fruit  from  the 
tree  that  merely  cumbered  the  ground.  The  point  is 
really  the  same  as  the  demand  for  "fruits  worthy  of 
repentance."  When  it  is  clear  that  no  fruit  will  be 
borne,  the  axe  will  fall.  John  has  issued  his  challenge 
to  the  people  at  large,  to  the  various  classes  in  society, 
in  particular  to  the  religious  leaders.  The  heart  of 
his  cry  was  for  real  manhood.  He  recoiled  from  the 
hollow  shams  in  religion  and  society.  "We  know 
Diogenes  went  through  the  streets  of  Athens  with 
a  lantern,  seeking  for  a  man;  and  when  some  of 
the  crowd  came  to  him  he  beat  them  away  with  the 
contemptuous   exclamation,   *I  want  men;   ye  are  ^ 

"God  give  us  men!    A  time  like  this  demands 
Great  hearts,  strong  minds,  true  faith,  and  willing  hands; 
Men  whom  the  lust  of  office  does  not  kill, 

Men  whom  the  spoils  of  office  cannot  buy, 
Men  who  possess  conviction  and  a  will, 

Men  who  have  honour,  men  who  dare  not  lie." 

»  Luke  13  :  6-9. 

2  <TKv^a\a  equals  rubbish.     Of.  Phil.  3  :  8. 

'  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  pp.  171  f. 


CHAPTER  III 

REMEDY 

"Preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance  unto  remission 
of  sms"  (Luke  3:3). 

1.  John  Not  a  Mere  Iconoclast. — One  quite  misses 
the  force  of  John's  mission  who  sees  in  him  only  the 
iconoclast.  He  was  that  as  was  Jesus  when  he  ap- 
pears in  the  temple  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry 
as  reported  in  the  Fourth  Gospel.^  Geike^  fails  to 
grasp  the  fulness  of  John's  message  when  he  says: 
'*  He  came  to  throw  down,  not  to  build ;  to  startle,  not 
to  instruct;  to  use  the  axe,  not  the  trowel."  It  is 
true  that  John  made  no  breach  with  the  law  'per  se. 
He  taught  his  disciples  to  fast  as  a  regular  observance 
much  after  the  fashion  of  the  Pharisees.^  "The  dis- 
ciples of  John  fast  often,  and  make  supplications."  ^ 
This  praying,  while  spiritual  in  essence,  probably 
conformed  to  the  Jewish  forms.  John  taught  his 
disciples  to  pray.^  The  point  to  emphasize  is  that  he 
had  a  positive  programme  to  present  to  the  people 
besides  denunciation  of  their  sins.  The  prophets  of 
the  Old  Testament  held  out  the  promise  of  pardon  as 
well  as  rebuke,  "the  flame  which  consumes  and  the 
light  which  consoles."  ^    And  John  was  the  light  that 

1  2 :  13-22. 

2  "  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  394. 

3  Mark  2:  18.  "  Luke  5  :  33.  »  Luke  11:1. 
6  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  114. 

69 


70  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

burns  and  shines.*  He  did  not  come  to  organize  a 
new  sect  or  separate  community.^  He  may  have  had 
a  special  band  of  devoted  followers  gathered  round 
him  as  Jesus  had  the  twelve  apostles/  but  we  do  not 
know  it  to  be  true.  We  do  know  that  disciples  of 
John  apparently  lingered  as  a  separate  body  long  after 
his  death. ^  We  are  justified  in  thinking  that  this  was 
not  in  accordance  with  John's  wish  and  plan.^  Their 
loyalty  to  John  in  his  trouble  and  death  was  beautiful/ 
but  John  rejoiced  to  see  his  disciples  follow  Jesus. ^ 
We  know  even  from  Josephus^  that  John  "  urged  the 
Jews  who  were  willing  to  live  worthily,  and  to  show 
uprightness  one  to  another,  and  piety  toward  God,  to 
be  baptized."  He  did  more  than  that,  as  w^e  learn 
from  the  Fourth  Gospel.^  "There  came  a  man,  sent 
from  God,  whose  name  was  John.  The  same  came 
for  witness,  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  light, 
that  all  might  believe  through  him."  What  calls  for 
comment  in  this  passage  is  "that  all  might  believe 
through*^  him."  He  was  the  intermediary  who  was 
to  lead  men  to  faith  in  the  real  light,  which  John  saw 
and  others  did  not.  That  was  the  heart  of  John's 
message. 

2.  Submission  to  the  Reign  of  God. — This  point  is 
more  implied  than  expressed  in  the  brief  words  pre- 
served to  us  in  the  gospel.  John  witnessed,  as  we 
have  just  seen,  "  that  men  might  believe  through  him." 

J  John  5  :  35. 

2  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  314. 

s  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  407.  Weiss,  "Life  of 
Christ,"  vol.  I.  p.  314.  <  Acts  19 :  1-7. 

5  John  3  :  26-30.  «  Matt.  14  :  12.  ?  John  3  :  28  f. 

8  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2.  »  John  1 :  6  f.  i"  5t'  airov. 


REMEDY  71 

Believe  what  or  whom?  Paul  explains  in  Acts^  to 
some  lingering,  ill-informed  disciples  of  John  that 
John  taught  the  people  "  that  they  should  believe  on 
him  that  should  come  after  him,  that  is  on  Jesus." 
The  element  of  faith,  therefore,  belonged  to  John's 
preaching.  Edersheim^  sees  this  clearly.  "  He  came 
to  call  Israel  to  submit  to  the  reign  of  God,  about  to 
be  manifested  in  Christ."  That  was  the  goal  before 
John.  The  term  "kingdom"  was  by  no  means  new 
in  Jewish  terminology.  It  has  its  roots  in  the  pro- 
phetic writings,^  in  the  righteous  king  of  Isaiah^  and 
Micah,^  in  the  Davidic  dynasty  of  Jeremiah^  and 
Ezekiel.^  In  Psalm  89  the  promise  made  to  David  ^ 
is  expounded  in  language  akin  to  that  used  by  Jesus 
later.^  Zacharias  had  heard  the  angel  tell  of  John's 
mission  "to  make  ready  for  the  Lord  a  people  pre- 
pared for  him."  ^^  The  people  who  followed  Jesus  to 
Jerusalem,  and  who  "supposed  that  the  kingdom  of 
God  was  immediately  to  appear,"  "  looked  for  some 
spectacular  apocalyptic  demonstration.  But  there  were 
some  of  the  Jews  like  Joseph  of  Arimathea  "who 
was  looking  for  the  kingdom  of  God."  ^^  So,  likewise, 
Simeon  and  Anna  caught  the  vision  of  the  spiritual 
nature  of  the  kingdom.  The  one  was  "looking  for 
the  consolation  of  Israel,"  ^^  the  other  "  spoke  of  him 

1  19 :  4. 

2  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  270. 

8  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  35. 
49:6,  7;  11:  1-10. 

6  4  :  1-8.  6  23  :  5,  5.  i  Z7  :  24.  8  n  gam.  7  :  13,  16. 

9  Matt.  16 :  18  f . ;  otKoSo/a^o-w  is  used  in  II  Sam.  7  :  13,  16;  in  Ps.  89  :  4;  in 
Matt.  16:  18.  The  figure  of  "house"  is  used  as  tantamount  to  "king- 
dom" (Hebrews  3  :  5  f.).  10  Luke  1:17.  "Luke  19:  11. 

12  Luke  23  :  51,  Trpoo-eSexero  (imperfect  and  so  durative). 
"  Luke  2 :  25. 


72  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

to  all  them  that  were  looking  for  the  redemption  of 
Jerusalem."  ^  It  is  quite  gratuitous,  therefore,  to 
deny  to  John  any  comprehension  of  the  spiritual  as- 
pects of  this  great  word.  He  does  use  apocalyptic 
imagery  more  or  less  in  accord  with  the  ideas  of  the 
time.  "The  Jewish  expectation  was  fantastic  and 
superstitious"  ^  on  the  point  of  the  literal  return  of 
Elijah.  But  John  the  Baptist  rose  above  that  idea.^ 
This  matter  of  the  apocalyptic  language  and  hopes  is 
one  keenly  debated  at  present.  Schweitzer^  seeks  to 
explain  thus  the  whole  content  of  the  term  "kingdom" 
in  the  gospels.  It  is,  with  him,  all  futuristic  and  cata- 
clysmic. "The  futuristic  aspect  of  the  kingdom  was 
certainly  present  to  the  mind  of  Jesus,"  ^  but  that  is 
not  saying  that  there  was  no  other  idea  in  the  mind  of 
Jesus.  John  caught  the  prophetic  spirit  of  judgment 
for  sin,  and  set  that  forth  in  apocalyptic  language  (as 
did  Jesus). ^  Some  have  gone  to  the  utmost  extreme 
and  have  denied  that  John  the  Baptist  was  able  to 
understand  or  believe  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the 
kingdom  as  preached  by  Jesus.^  It  is  clear  that  with 
Jesus  the  term  kingdom  was  used  in  various  senses. 
In  the  119  passages  in  the  New  Testament  where  the 
word  kingdom  occurs,  Edersheim*  finds  34  where  the 

»  Luke  2  :  38. 

2  Sanday,  "The  Life  of  Christ  in  Recent  Research,"  p.  33. 

3  John  1 :  21  f. 

4  "The  Quest  of  the  Historical  Jesus"  (1910). 

6  Muirhead,  "The  Eschatology  of  Jesus,"  p.  85.  For  the  ideas  of  the 
Jews,  see  the  "  Apocalypse  of  Baruch,"  Ixxii,  4-6;  "  Assumption  of  Moses," 
X,  7-10. 

6  Burkitt,  "The  Eschatological  Idea  in  the  Gospel"  ("Cambridge  Bibl. 
Essays"),  p.  204. 

7  Schweitzer,  "  Quest  of  the  Historical  Jesus,"  p.  205. 

8  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  270.  See  further,  DobschQtz, 
"Eschatology  of  the  Gospels"  (1910). 


REMEDY  73 

idea  is  simply  the  rule  of  God,  17  where  this  rule  of 
God  is  manifested  in  and  through  Christ,  and  one  of 
these  is  Matt.  3  : 2,  where  the  term  is  put  into  the 
mouth  of  the  Baptist.  The  other  passages  tell  how 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  gradually  developed,  how  it  is 
triumphant  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  how  it  is 
consummated  in  the  world  to  come.  Plummer^  makes 
the  point  that  Jesus  gives  no  definition  of  the  kingdom 
and  that  no  definition  can  be  made  that  is  not  partial 
and  that  does  not  leave  out  part  of  the  truth.  The 
"reign  of  God"  is  viewed  now  from  one  point  of  view, 
now  from  another.  But  when  John  the  Baptist  said: 
"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  has  drawn  near,"  he  had  in 
mind  the  Messiah.  He  saw  and  described  the  Mes- 
siah as  one  who  would  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost.^ 
It  is  thus  beyond  doubt  that  John  had  a  clear  grasp  of 
the  spiritual  aspects  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  of  the 
personal  relation  of  each  soul  with  God.  The  fore- 
most thing  in  his  programme  was  just  this  personal 
adjustment  with  God.  He  wished  to  prevent,  if  pos- 
sible, the  bursting  of  the  cloud  of  divine  wrath  upon 
the  Jewish  people.  That  catastrophe  could  only  be 
turned  aside  by  the  genuine  conversion  of  the  people 
as  individuals  brought  face  to  face  with  God.  Holtz- 
mann^  puts  it  well:  "He  is  not  content  that  they 
should  merely  gaze  upon  him  with  wondering  curios- 
ity; to  every  one  who  comes  out  to  him  must  be  com- 
municated the  same  anxiety  which  has  driven  him- 
self out  into  the  desert." 

»  On  Matthew,  p.  25. 

2  Mark  1 :  8;  Matt.  3 :  11;  Luke  3: 18. 

"'■Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  118. 


74  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

3.  Repentance. — This  is  John's  great  word,*  and  it 
is  to-day  a  wofully  misunderstood  word.  The  trouble 
is  not  with  the  Greek^  word.  That  is  plain  enough. 
In  its  etymological  sense  we  have  the  substantive^  in 
Heb.  12  :  17,  "for  he  found  no  place  for  a  change  of 
mind  in  his  father"  Elsewhere  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment it  has  a  moral  quality.  In  Rev.  2  : 5  and  3  : 3 
it  is  associated  with  memory.**  The  word  in  itself  does 
not  mean  sorrow  for  sin,  though  that  is,  of  course,  in- 
volved. Another  word  ^  was  used  for  that.  Sorrow 
may  bring  about  repentance,^  and  "godly  sorrow" 
always  does.''  And  contemplation  of  the  goodness  of 
God  always  leads  to  repentance.^  Jesus  came  to  call 
sinners  to  repentance.^  It  was  directed  toward  God.'^ 
It  is  coupled  with  belief  **  and  with  conversion.*^  It  is 
the  trait  in  a  sinner  that  causes  joy  in  heaven.*^  It  is 
essential  to  salvation.**  It  was  commanded  by  Jesus*^ 
and  by  God.*^  It  was  a  fundamental  doctrine  in  the 
apostolic  preaching.*^  Proof  of  repentance  was  de- 
manded,*^ as  was  true  of  John  the  Baptist's  preaching.*^ 

So  far  so  good.  All  the  witnesses  testify  that  John 
associated  repentance  with  baptism.^^    Mark  calls  it 

>  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  79. 

2  (jLeravoeo}.      Matt.  3:2.  3  ^erai'oia. 

*  fivqiJioveve  Ovv  Koi  jneTafdryo'ov. 

6  MeTaM€Ao/xai.     Of.  Matt.  21 :  30;   27  :  3;   II  Cor.  7  :  8. 

8  eXvmq&qTe  eis  /meravoiav,  II  Cor.  7  :  9. 

7 II  Cor.  7  :  10,  ^  Kara  ^eov  Avjrrj.  »  Rom.  2  :  4. 

9  Luke  5  :  32. 

10  Acts  20  :  21,  eis  ^e6v. 

1'  Mark  1  :  15,  fieravoelre  Kai  mareveTe. 

12  €irio-Tpei/^}j  Trpos  <r€  Keytov  Meravou).    Luke  17  :  4. 

1*  Luke  15  :  7,  10.      ewl  evl  ijnapTwAiu  /merai/ovcTi. 

"  Luke  13  :  3,  5.  i^  Matt.  4  :  17.  >«  Acts  17  :  30;  26  :  20. 

"  Mark  6  :  12;  Acts  24  :  47;  Heb.  6  :  1. 

18  Acts  26  :  20.  i9  Matt.  3:8;  Luke  3  :  8. 

20  1 :  4.  panrivfia  /ixcTavdias  equals  "repentance  (kind  of)  baptism."  The 
genitive  case  is  the  case  of  genus,  kind,  and  describes  the  baptism. 


REMEDY  75 

"the  baptism  of  repentance."  Thus  the  relation  is 
described  by  Luke^  and  Paul  in  Acts.^  Matthew^ 
uses  another  expression  which  is  not  clear  in  itself. 
The  preposition  eis  here  used  is  employed  in  Matt. 
12  :  41  in  connection  with  the  repentance  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Nineveh,  who  "repented  at  the  preaching  of 
Jonah."*  Hence  Plummer^  is  justified  in  saying: 
"The  repentance  precedes  the  baptism,  which  seals 
it  and  reminds  the  baptized  of  his  new  obligations." 
Josephus^  has  this  notion  of  John's  teaching  also. 
He  says  that  John  baptized  "  supposing  still  that  the 
soul  was  thoroughly  purified  beforehand  by  righteous- 
ness." Repentance  in  the  New  Testament  leads  to 
forgiveness  of  sins  and  life.^  It  opens  the  door  to  full 
knowledge  of  the  truth.^ 

The  prophets  of  old  were  fond  of  sounding  the  note 
of  repentance.^  It  is  unfortunate  that  the  English 
word  "repent,"  from  a  Latin  (late)  compound,  re- 
foenitere  (cf.  poenitet  me)  means  to  be  sorry  again. 
But  the  word  is  now  so  deeply  rooted  in  English  the- 
ology, literature  and  life  that  it  is  practically  impos- 
sible to  drop  it.  But  one  must  never  forget  that  John 
the  Baptist  did  not  urge  men  merely  to  be  sorry,  but 
to  change  their  course  of  life.  Indeed,  "  conversion"  ^® 
is  far  more  in  accord  with  the  real  meaning  of  this 
word  than  "repentance."     Least  of  all  must  it  be 

13:3.  2  13:24;  19:  4. 

3  3:  11  (cf.  Acts  2  :  38),  eis  fieTdvoi.av. 

*  fierevorfaav  eis  to  Kr)pvyiJ.a  'Itava.  ^  On  Luke,  p.  ^6. 

6  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2. 

7  Acts  15  :  31 ;  11:18;  Luke  24  :  47.  8  II  Tim.  2  :  25. 
"Isa.    1:16,   17;    55:7;    Jer.   7:3,   7;    Ezek.   18:19-32;    36:25-27; 

Joel  2  :  12,  13;  Micah  6:8;  Zech.  1  :  34. 
10  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  207. 


76  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

imagined  that  the  Baptist  exhorted  people  to  "do 
penance,"  as  the  Roman  Catholic  Vulgate  has  it.^ 
John  would  be  horrified  beyond  measure  to  find  his 
trumpet-call  for  spiritual  renewal  turned  into  mediaeval 
notions  of  earning  salvation  by  paying  money  for  it.^ 

4.  Remission  of  Sins.^ — It  is  not  possible  to  treat 
these  spiritual  processes  in  natural  order  without  en- 
tering the  realm  of  controversy.  Bruce^  is  not  willing 
to  admit  that  baptism  is  essential  to  forgiveness  in 
John's  teaching,  though  Plummer  on  Matthew^  holds 
with  Tertullian  and  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  that  baptism 
"bestows"  forgiveness  of  sins.  But  Plummer^  on 
Luke  had  taken  the  evangelical  interpretation  that 
the  purpose  was  subjective,  "assuring  the  penitent  of 
forgiveness,  and  of  deliverance  from  the  burden, 
penalty,  and  bondage  of  sin";  Bruce^  further  refuses 
to  consider  "confession"  as  prerequisite  to  baptism. 
Broadus®  sees  that  forgiveness  is  promised  on  condi- 
tion of  confession,^  "though  of  course  this  is  not  the 
meritorious  ground  of  forgiveness."  Logically,  and 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  forgiveness  or  remission  of  sins 
turns  fundamentally  on  the  attitude  of  the  heart 
toward  God.  When  one  comes  to  confession,  he 
comes  to  see  that  his  sins  are  already  forgiven.  It  is 
a  fine  point  and  not  to  be  pressed  too  far.  A  man 
who  claimed  forgiveness  and  yet  refused  confession 
and  baptism  justifies  doubt  of  his  forgiveness. 

»  "  Poenitentiam  agite." 

2  Cf.  Broadus  on  Matthew,  pp.  34  f. 

3  5(^e<ris  a/iapTiwv,  Mark  1:4;  Luke  3 :  3. 
*  On  Mark,  p.  342. 

6  P.  22.  6  p.  86.  »  On  Matthew,  p.  81. 

8  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  44. 
oProv.  28:  13:  IJohn  1:9. 


REMEDY  77 

The  term  "forgiveness"  or  "remission"  *  is  a  beau- 
tiful word.  God  sends  the  sins  away,  out  of  sight,  out 
of  mind.  It  is  objected  that  the  Baptist  was  a  poor 
theologian  and  had  no  doctrinal  system,  that,  in  a 
word,  he  knew  nothing  of  the  mediatorial  work  of 
Christ,  that  his  notion  of  remission  of  sins  was  purely 
sacramental.  It  is  easy  to  cite  his  great  cry  in  John 
1  :  29 :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world."  ^  It  is  not  necessary,  in  taking 
this  to  be  a  genuine  logion  of  the  Baptist,  to  attribute 
to  him  a  theory  of  the  atonement.  John  was  doubtless 
familiar  with  Isa.  53  and  its  Messianic  application. 
"There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  image  is  directly 
derived  from  Isa.  53:7  (cf.  Acts  8:2)."^  Why 
should  not  he  have  been  familiar  with  the  Paschal 
Lamb,  since  he  was  of  priestly  stock  ?  He  spoke  this 
word  after  the  baptism  of  Jesus,  and  in  his  moment 
of  rapture  at  the  fresh  sight  of  the  Messiah  he  gave 
expression  to  his  deepest  word  about  him.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  explain  this  as  an  invention  of  the  author 
of  the  Fourth  Gospel  dramatically  put  into  the  Bap- 
tist's mouth.  It  is  "the  sin  of  the  world"  in  its  col- 
lective aspect  that  John  has  in  mind.  But  this  work 
of  Jesus  as  the  Sin-Bearer  makes  possible,  in  John's 
view,  the  remission  of  sins  in  the  case  of  the  man  who 
repents  and  turns  to  God.  Thus  John's  theological 
stand-point  does  not  differ  greatly  from  that  of  the 
New  Testament  as  a  whole.  We  must  remember 
also  that  we  have  only  fragments  of  John's  teaching. 

1  a<^eo-ts  from  a<^tT?Mi  equals  send  away. 

2  'I6e  6  ajuvbs  Toi)  i>eou  6  aipoov  Tr)v  aixaprCav  ToO  /coafiov. 

?  Westcott  on  John,  vol.  I,  p.  39. 


78  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

The  wonder  is  that  we  can   piece  out  any  system 
at  alL 

5.  Confession. — This  act  was  commanded  by  the 
Mosaic  law/  It  was  often  practised  by  the  penitent." 
It  is  public  confession  that  is  here  meant  by  Matthew^ 
and  Mark/  Private  confession  to  God  is,  of  course, 
essential  to  salvation  and  is,  in  fact,  done  when  one 
turns  to  God  with  a  repentant  heart.  The  case  of 
the  publican  at  worship  is  in  point.^  This  public 
confession  of  sins  by  individuals  was  a  new  thing  in 
Israel.®  There  had  been,  of  course,  collective  con- 
fession like  that  on  the  Day  of  Atonement.  "  It  must 
have  been  a  stirring  sight,"  Bruce  adds,  this  breaking 
down  of  hearts  before  God  and  men.  It  is  the  great- 
est sight  in  all  the  world  to  see  men  coming  out  on 
the  Lord's  side.  Confession  followed  as  a  matter  of 
course  when  one  had  trusted  God  for  his  salvation.' 
Indeed,  the  act  of  baptism  was  itself  ^  a  confession  of 
faith  in  the  good  news  of  the  kingdom. 

6.  Baptism. — John's  title,  "the  Baptist,"  shows 
how  people  regarded  his  baptism.  The  angel  Gabriel 
had  not  said  that  he  would  have  such  a  "  nickname." 
He  is  not  always  so  called.  John  was  still  his  name 
and  enough  of  itself.^  Mark^^  probably  gives  the 
original  form  of  the  expression  "John  the  man  who 


»Lev.  5:5;  16:21,  etc. 

2  Of.  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  44;  Ps.  32  :  5;  Acts  19  :  18. 

3  3:6,  e$oixo\oyoviJLevoi.     The  i$  shows  that  it  was  a  full  and  frank  con- 
fession. <  1 :  5. 

^  Luke  18  :  13,  /xoi  t^  a/xaprwAu. 

6  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  81.      *  7  Of.  Rom.  10  :  8  fT. 

8  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  44;   Kohler,     Johannes  der  Taufer." 

9  Cf.  Matt.  3  :  13  f.;  Mark  1:9;  Luke  3:2,  15;  John  1 :  6,  etc. 
^^  6  jSaTTTi'^wi'. 


REMEDY  79 

baptizes."  That  is  probably  the  way  people  first 
began  to  speak  of  him.  But  it  was  easy  to  fasten  upon 
him  the  epithet  "the  Baptist,"  as  we  find  it^  so  fre- 
quently. Jesus  himself  ^  is  quoted  as  calling  John 
"the  Baptist."  Josephus^  also  so  describes  him. 
Matthew  applies  the  term  to  John  more  often  than 
the  other  gospels,  but  he  does  not  always  do  so.^  But 
John  was  also  called  a  prophet^  and  teacher.®  Hence 
he  was  not  regarded  as  a  mere  ceremonialist.  The 
novelty  of  his  rite  attracted  attention,  and  it  was  easy 
for  the  title  to  arise.  But  with  John  the  ordinance 
was  secondary.  The  spiritual  reality  was  first  in  his 
mind  and  in  his  message.  There  is  danger  to-day 
that  John's  striking  ceremony  in  the  Jordan  may 
make  some  men  misunderstand  him  and  his  mission. 
What  was  the  origin  of  John's  baptism  ?  The  very 
title  "the  Baptist"  argues  the  originality  of  John's 
baptism  in  some  sense.  Certainly  it  was  new  in  its 
application.^  The  committee  from  Jerusalem  were 
astonished  that  John  should  baptize^  if  he  did  not 
claim  to  be  the  Messiah  nor  Elias  nor  the  prophet. 
There  is  no  passage  in  the  Old  Testament  that  fore- 
tells baptism  by  these  men.^  The  point  of  the  ques- 
tion is  that  the  Messiah  would  cause  no  astonishment 
if  he  were  to  introduce  a  new  rite  like  this.     But  if 


'  6  PaiTTto-Tijs.  '  Matt.  11 :  11  f. 

'  "  Ant.,"  XViii,  5,  2,   'Imawov  to5  iniKakovfJievov  pauTLiTTOV. 

<Cf.  Matt.  9:  14;  21 :  25  ff. 

5  Matt.  11:9;  21:26.  «  Luke  5:  12. 

7  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  273. 

*  Tt  ovv  ^aTTTt^et?;  John  1  :  25. 

9  Westcott  on  John,  in  loco,  quotes  Ezek.  36:  25;  Isa.  52:  15;  Zech. 
13  : 1  for  the  notion  of  a  Messianic  "lustration."  But  no  reference  is  here 
made  to  baptism. 


80  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  is  nobody  in  particular,  why  had  he  done  it? 
The  question  argues  the  novelty  of  John's  baptism. 
To  the  same  effect  is  the  question  of  Jesus  when  he 
gave  the  rulers  the  dilemma  about  John's  baptism: 
"The  baptism  of  John,  whence  was  it?  Was  it 
from  heaven  or  from  men?"  ^  Jesus  clearly  implies 
that  John's  baptism  had  more  than  a  mere  human 
origin.  "  John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness and  ye  received  him  not."  ^  But  we  are  not  to 
insist  that  ceremonial  ablution  was  a  new  thing  in 
the  world.  The  Hindoo  worship  con-sists  largely  in 
lustral  rites,  the  Greeks  had  their  mystical  lustra- 
tions, and  the  Romans  had  the  custom  of  dipping  the 
head  in  the  Tiber  to  cleanse  from  sin.^  The  Jews 
had  "divers  baptisms"^  and  ceremonial  ablutions.^ 
"Those  who  had  contracted  Levitical  defilement 
were  to  immerse  before  offering  sacrifice."  ®  "  He 
that  washeth'  himself  because  of  a  dead  body,  if  he 
touch  it  again,  what  availeth  his  washing  ? "  ^  The 
Pharisee,  w^ho  invited  Jesus  to  breakfast  with  him,^ 
"marvelled  that  he  had  not  first  bathed  himself  be- 
fore breakfast."  ^^  Some  scholars  think  that  the  Jew- 
ish "  proselyte  baptism,"  about  which  so  much  is  said 
in  the  Talmud,  was  already  in  existence  before  the 
time  of  John."    There  is  no  doubt  whatever  of  the 

»  Matt.  21 :  25.  ^  Matt.  21 :  32. 

3  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  pp.  277  f. 

*  Sia<|>6poi?  pawTLtTtJioU.     Heb.  9  :  K).         ^  cf.  Lev.  11-15;  Num.  19. 

6  Edersheim.  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  273. 

7  ^aTTTi^Ojutevo?.  ^  Sirach,  XXXiv,  25.  '  ottw?  dpio-r^oij. 
»<»  Luke  1 1  :  38.      e^airria&ri. 

"  Of.  in  favor  of  the  early  origin  of  proselvte  baptism,  Schuerer,  "Jew- 
ish People,"  etc.,  second  division,  11,  pp.  319  ff.;  Lambert,  "Hastings's 
D.  C.  G."  Edersheim,  "  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  pp.  273  f. ;  vol.  II, 
Appendix  XII.  Against  this  view,  see  Godet,  "Luke,"  p.  110;  Bruce, 
"Matthew,"  p.  79;  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  pp.  41  f. 


REMEDY  81 

existence  of  "proselyte  baptism"  from  A.  D.  200  on- 
ward. Edersheim^  quotes  a  remarkable  passage  from 
the  Talmud:  "To  a  man  who  has  in  his  hand  a 
defiling  reptile,  who,  even  if  he  immerses  in  all  the 
waters  of  the  world,  his  baptism  avails  him  nothing; 
but  let  him  cast  it  from  his  hand,  and  if  he  immerses 
in  only  forty  seah  of  water,  immediately  his  baptism 
avails  him."  But  we  do  not  feel  sure  that  this  prose- 
lyte baptism  existed  before  the  time  of  John.  There 
is  nothing  quoted  from  the  Talmud  to  prove  it.  The 
dispute  alleged  to  have  existed  between  the  schools  of 
Hillel  and  Schammai  rests  on  precarious  evidence.^ 
Arrian  may  allude  to  it.^  If  so,  the  proselyte  baptism 
existed  in  the  first  half  of  the  second  century  A.  D. 
In  itself  there  is  no  real  objection  from  any  stand- 
point to  the  idea  that  John  was  familiar  with  proselyte 
baptism.  It  was  wholly  new  in  Israel  for  a  prophet 
like  John  to  call  for  wholesale  baptisms  on  the  part 
of  the  people  in  proof  of  a  spiritual  and  moral  revolu- 
tion. It  was,  indeed,  a  new  ordinance,  equivalent  to 
a  vow,  and  essentially  different  from  the  ceremonial 
washings  with  which  the  Jews  were  familiar.^  If  the 
people  were  familiar  with  proselyte  baptism,  then 
John  was  treating  the  Jews  themselves  as  heathen  in 
calling  them  to  submit  to  a  rite  which  they  required  of 
proselytes  from  pagan  peoples.^  The  heathen  were 
unclean  fer  se,  and  this  is  an  argument  used  for  the 

>  "  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  273. 
2  Edersheim,  "  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,"  vol.  II,  p.  747. 
8  "  Dissert.  Epicteti,"  ii,  9,  in  toO  pepa/ifj.evov  Kai  -^prj/ievov  as  a  descrip- 
tion of  one  called  "Jew." 

*  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  119. 

6  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  396. 


82  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

early  existence  of  proselyte  baptism.  The  case  of 
Naaman,  who  dipped  himself  ^  seven  times  in  the 
Jordan,  is  not  exactly  parallel,  as  this  was  not  an 
ordinance.  Besides  the  Pharisees  and  the  Essenes, 
who  practised  such  frequent  ablutions,  there  was  the 
sect  of  the  Sabeans,  who  practised  immersions.^  But 
there  was  something  about  the  rite  of  John  that  was 
new  and  wonderful,  whatever  historical  antecedents 
existed.  In  a  real  and  true  sense  his  baptism  was  of 
God,  and  it  summoned  the  people  to  their  knees  in 
repentance.  There  was  the  hush  of  reverence  in  the 
great  crowds  when  John  stepped  into  the  Jordan. 
V  What  was  the  significance  of  John's  baptism  ?  It 
is  clear  that  John's  baptism  had  no  connection  with 
ceremonial  uncleanness.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  doc- 
tors of  the  law  thought  the  Jordan  too  impure  for 
sacred  uses.^  Josephus,^  while  he  naturally  gives  an 
inadequate  description  of  the  meaning  of  John's  bap- 
tism, makes  it  plain  that  it  was  not  connected  with 
the  sacramental  purification  of  the  Jews  for  the  wash- 
ing away  of  sin.  He  "commanded  the  Jews  to  ex- 
ercise virtue,  both  as  to  righteousness  toward  one 
another,  and  piety  toward  God,  and  so  to  come  to 
baptism;  for  that  the  washing  would  be  acceptable 
to  him,  if  they  made  use  of  it,  not  in  order  to  the 
demanding  pardon  of  some  sins,  but  for  the  purifica- 
tion of  the  body;  supposing  still  that  the  soul  was 
thoroughly  purified  beforehand  by  righteousness."  ^ 

'  e/SaTTTiVaTo.     Lxx  II  Kings,  5 :  14. 

2  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  283.     Cf.  Chowlson,  "Die  Sabier." 

3  Cheyne,  "Encycl.  Biblica." 
*  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2. 

5  Margoliouth's  revision  of  Whiston's  translation  of  Josephus,  1906. 


REMEDY  83 

The  obvious  point  in  Josephus*s  account  is  that  John 
required  spiritual  renewal  before  the  baptism.  With 
John  there  was  no  sacramental  or  magical  power  in 
the  ordinance.  It  did  not  convey  righteousness  nor 
set  one  right  with  God.  Josephus  mentions  no  sym- 
bolic significance  for  the  ordinance.  He  is  not  giving 
a  theological  exposition  of  John's  baptism,  but  the 
popular  impression  produced  by  the  ordinance.  It  is 
not  clear  what  Josephus  means  by  the  phrase  "puri- 
fication of  the  body."  The  Jewish  ablutions  were 
repeated  as  occasion  (ceremonial  defilement)  de- 
manded. But  that  is  not  the  point  here.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  the  disciples  of  John  have  a  dispute^ 
with  a  Jew  (probab.ly  Pharisee)  concerning  "purifica- 
tion"^ (Josephus's  word).  The  proximity  of  John 
to  Jesus  and  the  concurrent  baptizing  by  John  and 
by  the  disciples^  of  Jesus  was  the  occasion  of  the  ar- 
gument. Probably  this  Jew  (Pharisee)  was  seeking 
baptism  of  Jesus,  and  the  disciples  of  John  wanted  to 
know  why  the  baptism  of  John  was  not  suflficient.* 
The  disciples  of  John  regarded  the  new  rite  as  their 
master's  prerogative,  and  resented  the  new  work 
begun  by  Jesu-s.  John  was  not  himself  baptized,  but 
he  had  instituted  the  ordinance.  Thus  arose  a  dis- 
cussion concerning  the  relative  merits  and  significance 
of  the  baptism  of  John,  of  Jesus,  and  of  the  Pharisees. 
Unfortunately  we  have  no  report  of  the  arguments  ad- 
vanced in  this  first  debate  on  the  meaning  of  baptism. 
It  was,  in  truth,  a  humbling  rite  that  was  demanded 

1  f^TTjo-is  (questioning).     John  3  :  25. 

2  Trepl  Ka^apicrfJ.ov.  ^  John  4  :  1  f . 

*  Cf.  John  3  :  26;  Dods  on  John,  in  loco. 


84  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  those  who  had  turned  from  their  sins.  It  was  not 
a  confession  and  turning  from  this  or  that  sin,  but  "  it 
represented  a  complete  purification;  it  was,  as  it  were, 
a  lustration  carried  to  the  second  power."  ^  John  de- 
manded of  the  people  "to  seal  their  repentance  by 
immersion  in  the  Jordan."  ^  The  matter  is  clearly 
put  by  Plummer  on  Matthew:^  "It  is  his  office  to 
bind  them  to  a  new  life,  symbolized  by  immersion  in 
water."  It  is  a  new  kind  of  "  proselytes  of  righteous- 
ness" that  John  is  seeking  to  make,  men  of  real 
righteousness  in  heart  and  life.  No  others  were  in- 
vited to  his  baptism  except  those  who  had,  with  repent- 
ance and  confession,  already  entered  upon  this  new 
life.  The  Jew  had  to  fling  away  pride  of  inheritance 
and  privilege  and  come  as  a  repentant  individual,  con- 
fessing his  sins  and  turning  to  a  new  life  of  righteous- 
ness. John  was  thus  consecrating  a  "new  Israel"* 
of  spiritual  reality  in  contrast  to  the  old  one  of  birth 
and  ceremonial  propriety.  The  public  baptism  was 
a  public  confession  of  sin  and  a  public  pledge  to  lead 
a  new  life.  In  a  real  sense,  therefore,  the  baptism 
came  to  stand  for  the  whole  work  of  John.  It  was 
the  outward  sign  that  stood  for  the  inward  reality. 
A  constant^  stream  o!  people  went  forth  and  were 
baptized  of  John.  It  was  a  wonderful  spectacle,  "  so 
new,  so  mighty,  so  terrific."  ^  They  all  "went  out  to 
be  baptized  of  him."  ^  They  were  certainly  not  all 
sincere.     Some  probably  wished  the  baptism  as  a  sub- 

iGodet,  "Luke,"  p.  110. 

?■  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  voL  I,  p.  313.  a  P.  28. 

4  Bebb,  in  "Hastings's  D.  B." 

6  Mark  1  :  5,   k^eiropeveTO,  ejSaTTTi^ovTO. 

6  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  I,  p.  257.  '  Luke  3 :  7. 


REMEDY  85 

stitute  for  repentance  or  as  a  means  of  securing  for- 
giveness of  sins.^  "Supercilious  Rabbis,  long-robed 
Pharisees,  cold  and  courtly  Sadducees,  dignified  high- 
priests,  circumspect  Levites,  grey-haired  elders  of  the 
people;  the  rich  farmer  with  full  barns,  and  the  poor 
peasant;  soldiers  of  the  Tetrarch  Antipas,  from  Perea; 
perhaps,  also,  proselytes  from  the  Roman  garrison  at 
Jerusalem,  more  disposed  to  accept  baptism  in  the 
Jordan  than  circumcision;  publicans — born  Jews, 
but  despised  and  hated,  alike  for  their  calling  and 
their  unjust  exactions, — found  themselves  together."  ^ 
Small  wonder  that  John  indignantly  demanded  of 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  why  they  had  come  to 
his  baptism.  Some  had  come  to  scoflF.  The  Phari- 
sees and  lawyers  as  a  whole  refused  to  be  baptized  by 
John.  They  were  not  willing,  these  theologians  and 
custodians  of  current  orthodoxy,  to  admit  that  they 
needed  to  repent.  To  accept  John*s  baptism,  they 
held,  would  be  to  admit  that  they  were  not  competent 
leaders  of  the  religious  thought  of  the  time,  would  be 
to  put  themselves  on  a  level  with  the  am-ha-aretz,  who 
were  accepting  John's  baptism.  The  publicans  and 
sinners  came  readily,  but  the  theological  lights  "frus- 
trated the  counsel  of  God  concerning  themselves."  ^ 
John's  baptism  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  rebuke  to 
the  leaders.  It  was  a  call  to  repentance  that  was 
heard  by  some  and  was  disregarded  by  others.  John 
made  it  plain  also  that  those  who  came  to  his  baptism 
confessed  their  faith  in  the  coming  Messiah,  as  Paul 

»  Plummer  on  Luke,  in  loco. 

2Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  397. 

S  Plummer  on  Luke  7  :  29  f .      rriv  pov\riv  tow  ■&eov  i)deTr}<rav  ets  eavTOu's. 


86  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

(Acts  19  : 4)  explained.  This  point  is  clear  in  John's 
own  words,  preserved  in  Matt.  3  :  11  f.;  Mark  1  :  7  f.; 
Luke  3  :  16  f.  Another  point  to  note  in  John's  bap- 
tism is  that  it  brought  men  to  decision  (Stalker,  "The 
Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  212). 

What  was  the  relation  of  John's  baptism  to  Chris- 
tian baptism  ?  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  need- 
less misunderstanding  on  the  exact  relation  between 
the  baptizing  done  by  John  and  that  done  by  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  and  commanded  by  him.^  Jesus  him- 
self did  not  baptize,  but  his  disciples.^  It  seems,  in 
fact,  that  after  the  imprisonment  of  the  Baptist  the 
disciples  of  Jesus  ceased  to  baptize,  perhaps  to  avoid 
the  excitement  unavoidable  to  the  ordinance  at  that 
time,  as  shown  by  the  experience  of  the  Baptist  and 
the  early  baptizing  of  Christ's  disciples.  It  was  re- 
newed on  a  large  scale  at  Pentecost,  after  Christ's 
resurrection.^  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  early 
baptizing  by  Christ's  disciples*  included  the  rebaptiz- 
ing  of  those  already  baptized  by  John.  Jesus  was 
carrying  on  the  work  of  John,  not  doing  it  over  again. 
The  first  disciples  of  Jesus  were  disciples  of  John, 
and  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  were  baptized 
again.^  The  case  of  the  twelve  so-called  disciples  of 
John  at  Ephesus,  who  were  baptized  by  Paul,®  is  not 
pertinent.  These  men  had  missed  the  essential  points 
in  the  preaching  of  John  (repentance,  faith  in  the 
coming  Messiah).  They  had  the  baptism  of  John 
only  in  form,  not  in  essence.     They  were  remnants  of 

1  Matt.  28 :  19.     Genuine  in  spite  of  recent  efforts  to  discredit  the  verse. 
2John4:lf.         3  Acts  2  :  38,  41.         "  John  3  :  26.  5Johnl:35ff. 

«  Acts  19  :  1-10.     See  closing  chapter  of  this  booli. 


REMEDY  87 

the  disciples  of  John  who  had  lingered  on  distinct 
from  the  Christians,  and  did  not  really  represent 
John's  work.  Apollos  had  also  only  the  baptism  of 
John/  but  he  was  not  rebaptized.  Besides,  the  Lord 
Jesus  himself  received  John's  baptism.^  What  was 
good  enough  for  Jesus  was  good  enough  for  his  dis- 
ciples. In  broad  outline,  therefore,  the  baptism  of 
John  was  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  Christian 
baptism.^  The  matter  might  be  allowed  to  drop 
right  here  but  for  the  difficulty  felt  by  some  over  the 
words  of  Jesus  concerning  John:  "He  that  is  least 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he."  * 
Whatever  this  means,  it  casts  no  reflection  on  John's 
baptism.  It  may  be  said  in  passing  that  Jesus  does 
not  mean  to  exclude  John  from  the  kingdom  in  reality, 
for  he  had  just  called  him  the  greatest  of  those  born 
of  women.  He  means  to  emphasize  the  opportunity 
offered  to  those  who  come  after  John  with  the  fuller 
light  of  the  new  dispensation,  of  which  John  was  the 
harbinger.  It  is  urged  by  some  that  John  himself 
draws  a  sharp  distinction  between  his  baptism  and 
that  by  Christ.^  That  is  true.  But  the  baptizing^  by 
Christ  is  figurative,  not  literal.  John  does  not  here 
discusb  the  water  baptism  commanded  by  Jesus  in 
Matt.  28  :  19,  and  at  first  practised  by  the  disciples 
of  Jesus.''  What  exactly  John  has  in  mind  by  the 
figurative  baptism  to  be  performed  by  the  Messiah 
is  matter  for  future  discussion,  but  it  is  not  pertinent 

»  Acts  18  :  25. 

2  Matt.  3  :  13  ff. ;    Mark  1  :  9  f. ;   Luke  3  :  21  f. 

3  Broadus  on  Matthew,  pp.  240  f.  *  Matt.  11:11. 
6  Matt.  3:  11  f.;  Mark  1:  7f.;  Luke  3 :  16  f. 

•  ev  irvevfiaTk  ayiut  kol  irvpi.  ^  John  3  :  26. 


88  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

here.  It  is  beyond  doubt  true  that  Jesus  saw  a  sym- 
bolic meaning  in  his  baptism  at  the  hands  of  John 
not  seen  by  John  himself/  That  symbolic  content  is 
clearly  set  forth  by  Paul  in  its  relation  both  to  Jesus 
and  the  believer.^  It  is  not  necessary  to  suppose, 
nor  is  it  likely,  that  John  saw  the  fulness  of  this 
symbolism.  But  the  essence  of  PauFs  thought  (the 
death  to  sin  and  the  pledge  to  newness  of  life)  is  in- 
volved in  John's  doctrine  of  repentance  in  relation 
to  baptism.  The  form  of  expression  is  changed,  but 
the  heart  of  the  idea  is  the  same.  Jesus  himself  en- 
dorsed the  baptism  of  John  by  submitting  to  it  him- 
self. He  accepted  its  validity  for  his  disciples.  He 
agreed  that  it  came  from  heaven  and  had  God's 
authority.  But,  like  the  work  of  John  as  a  whole,  it 
was  not  to  go  on  save  in  that  of  Christ.  For  a  while 
John  kept  on  baptizing  after  he  baptized  Jesus,  but 
that  could  not  go  on  indefinitely. 

7.  Reformation. — John  was  a  practical  reformer. 
His  mission  as  herald  ^  included  vigorous  handling  of 
ethical  problems.  He  had  no  time  for  mere  Levitical 
ceremonial.  His  work  as  Forerunner  of  the  Messiah 
called  for  a  general  toning  up  of  the  life  of  the  people. 
But  John  did  not  make  the  mistake  of  putting  reforma- 
tion to  the  front  as  the  main  thing.  He  did  demand 
fruit^  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  who  came  to  his 
baptism,  fruit  before  the  baptism,  as  proof  of  repent- 

1  Matt.  3  :  14  f.;  Luke  18  :  38  f. 

2  Rom.  6:  1-6.  Of.  "John's  Baptism."  by  J.  R.  Graves  (1891),  and 
"Christie  and  Patristic  Baptism,"  by  J.  W.  Dale  (1874),  for  controversial 
aspects  of  the  matter.  a  K-qpv^. 

4  Ktxpirov  (Matt.  3:7)  in  the  collective  sense.  But  Luke  (3 :  8)  has 
(capTTovs  in  connection  with  the  multitudes. 


REMEDY  89 

ance.  John  preached  reformation  in  detail  to  the 
various  classes  who  came  to  him,  yet  not  reformation 
in  place  of  the  spiritual  renewal  out  of  which  righteous- 
ness comes.  "It  was  Jesus  who  proclaimed  the  in- 
wardness of  true  morality"  ^  in  the  beatitudes,  for 
instance.  But  one  must  not  make  the  mistake  of 
supposing  that  John  also  did  not  grasp  this  concep- 
tion. His  word  "repentance"  disproves  that  notion. 
With  John  reformation  follows  repentance  as  result, 
does  not  precede  it  as  cause.  The  "fruit  worthy  of 
repentance"^  is  fruit  that  proves  the  profession  of 
repentance  to  be  genuine.  In  a  word,  if  they  were 
not  hypocrites,  their  life  would  show  it.  Josephus^ 
did  not  grasp  clearly  John's  spiritual  insight,  and 
spoke  of  the  soul's  being  "  thoroughly  purified  before- 
hand by  righteousness,"  i.  e.y  before  coming  to  bap- 
tism. Josephus  probably  meant  that  morality  caused 
the  purification.  He  says  also  that  John  commanded 
the  exercise  of  "  righteousness  toward  one  another."  It 
cannot  be  expected  that  Josephus  would,  at  all  points, 
comprehend  John's  message.  The  people  to  whom 
John  was  addressing  such  plain  words  had  heard  his 
insistence  on  repentance  and  had  come  "to  be  bap- 
tized." ^  Hence,  since  John  had  reason  to  doubt  the 
sincerity  of  the  profession  of  these  classes,  he  was 
justified  in  explaining  to  them  that  the  new  life  sym- 
bolized by  baptism  meant  quitting  the  old  sins.  The 
baptized  life  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  of 
baptism.     The  old  life  must  be  left  behind.     Indeed, 

1  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  83. 

2  Matt.  3:7.  3  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2.  \  Luke  3  :  7,  12. 


90  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

three  classes  "asked"  *  John  what  particular  sins  they 
had  to  give  up.  These  special  queries  from  the  com- 
mon people,  the  publicans,  and  the  soldiers  are 
echoes  of  John's  demand  for  "fruit  worthy  of  re- 
pentance.'* This  sort  of  repentance  people  could 
understand.  It  would  pass  muster  with  the  man  on 
the  street  and  was  current  in  the  court  of  heaven.  It 
was  the  appeal  to  life,  to  life  as  the  source  of  moral 
action,  to  life  as  proof  of  spiritual  renewal.  Like 
every  reformer,  John's  work  was  not  wholly  success- 
ful. But  he  lifted  up  his  standard  and  exposed  the 
shortcomings  of  the  people  of  his  time.  He  had,  at 
any  rate,  made  his  protest.  He  made  no  ill-consid- 
ered social  propaganda  for  the  uplift  of  the  people  en 
masse  without  spiritual  regeneration  as  individuals. 
He  denounced  the  evils  of  classes  as  classes  when  it 
was  necessary,  but  more  especially  he  touched  the 
individual  life  as  the  best  way  to  raise  the  general 
level  of  human  happiness.  The  great  masses  of  those 
who  heard  John  went  away  with  their  curiosity  satis- 
fied but  the  moral  nature  unmoved.  But  many  were 
brought  to  new  life.  John  did  "turn  the  hearts  of 
the  fathers  to  the  childrm^,  and  the  disobedient  to 
walk  in  the  wisdom  of  the  just."^ 

8.  John's  Power  as  a  Preacher. — We  have  pre- 
served just  a  few  scraps  of  John's  preaching,  but  they 
bear  the  stamp  of  originality  and  enable  us  to  form  a 
reasonably  adequate  conception  of  his  power  as  a 
preacher.  That  i«s,  of  course,  always  a  composite  re- 
sult.    Often  a  sermon  that  shook  the  multitude  is 

1  Luke  3 :  10,  12,  14.  2  Luke  1 :  17. 


REMEDY  91 

cold  and  lifeless  on  the  printed  page.  The  magnetism 
of  the  eye,  the  penetrating  voice,  the  dominating  right 
hand,  the  masterful  personality,  the  force  of  the 
human  will,  the  touch  of  soul  upon  soul  are  absent. 
Robert  Hall  was  a  preacher  of  this  type,  whom  Sir  W. 
Robertson  Nicoll  calls  "  perhaps  the  supreme  preacher 
of  the  last  century."  "  We  have  no  fit  record  of  Hall's 
sermons,  and  there  is  none  probably  which  could  fitly 
represent  the  dazzling  miracles  of  his  eloquence" 
{British  Weekly,  October  6,  1910).  And  yet  some 
men  have  the  gift  of  projecting  a  large  part  of  their 
personality  into  the  mere  speech  so  that,  if  written 
down,  these  words  throb  with  life.  They  breathe  and 
burn.  That  was  pre-eminently  true  of  Jesus.  His 
words  are  spirit  and  life.^  It  was  true  of  John  the 
Baptist.  This  is  the  highest  form  of  eloquence.  Some 
men  attract  attention  by  dress^  or  mannerisms.  But 
John  was  dependent  on  no  externals  like  these  for 
a  hearing.  He  was  a  "field-preacher"  like  Antony 
of  Padua,  like  Whitfield.  But  so  was  Jesus,  who 
preached  in  street  or  common,  as  he  could  get  a 
hearing,  as  well  as  in  the  synagogues  of  worship. 
John,  like  Jesus,  was  a  young  preacher,  but  he  did 
not  pose  as  a  young  preacher  nor  was  that  the  thing 
which  attracted  attention.  Indeed,  the  wonderful 
maturity  of  his  powers  is  what  is  most  striking  about 
him.  He  has  a  consummate  grasp  of  the  great  issues 
of  his  day,  due  to  prolonged  reflection  and  study. 
John  was  endowed  with  gifts  of  a  high  order.     That 

1  John  6  :  63. 

2  False  prophets  had  tried  to  imitate  Elijah  (Zech.  13:  4).     "Neither 
shall  they  wear  a  garment  of  hair  to  deceive." 


92  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

is  manifest  in  the  ringing  words  that  we  have  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels.  He  had  a  lambent  imagination 
that  played  around  his  theme  and  lighted  it  up  with 
illustrations  from  the  Old  Testament  and  from  the 
life  of  the  desert.  He  had  an  original  way  of  putting 
things,  that  peculiar  thing  called  style,  which  stamps 
all  that  a  man  says  with  his  own  individuality  and 
makes  it  recognizable  anywhere.  He  had  the  gift  of 
speech  in  the  best  sense,  not  a  fatal  fluency  of  words, 
but  the  power  to  pick  the  telling  word.  His  sermons 
hit  the  centre.  They  were  not  "orations,"  but  talks 
straight  from  the  shoulder.  There  are  few  preachers, 
if  any,  in  the  history  of  the  world  of  whom  it  would  be 
true  that  just  a  few  pages  chosen  from  their  published 
writings  would  make  the  vivid,  powerful  impression 
on  the  modern  reader  that  is  created  by  these  frag- 
ments from  John  the  Baptist. 

John  had  a  great  message,  it  is  true.  That  is  a 
large  part  of  the  preacher's  power,  his  message.  A 
preacher  who  has  no  message  is  no  herald.  He  has 
no  call  from  God  or  man.  No  one  wishes  to  hear 
him  and  few  will  endure  him.  John  was  a  man  sent 
from  God,  and  he  never  forgot  that  fact.^  He  never 
went  far  away  from  God's  side.  The  word  of  the 
Lord  came^  unto  John.  He  joyfully  received  it  and 
believed  it.  He  believed  his  message  which  he 
preached  in  the  wilderness  when  no  one  else  did.  He 
had  faith  and  he  had  courage.  No  preacher  can  be 
a  coward  and  succeed.  No  preacher  can  be  a  sceptic 
and  succeed.     Faith  and  courage  are  essentials  in  the 

1  John  1  :  6.      djreo-TaXju.e'i'o?  iraoa.  tJeoO.  2  Luke  3  :  2. 


REMEDY  93 

preacher.  John  had  them  both  in  a  pre-eminent 
degree.  He  had  a  passion  for  righteousness  that 
blazed  like  the  flame  of  the  Lord.  It  is  curious  to 
find  Ruegg*  saying  that  the  trend  of  the  Baptist's 
preaching  was  Pharisaical.  He  had  called  the  Phari- 
sees a  *' brood  of  vipers." 

But  John  had  also  the  spiritual  qualification.  He 
had  the  Holy  Spirit  with  him  from  his  birth.  He  had 
the  fellowship  of  the  Spirit.  He  had  communion  with 
God.  There  is  nothing  that  can  take  the  place  of 
this  in  the  prophet,^  the  "  f or-speaker "  for  God. 
Thus  John  had  spiritual  insight  into  his  message  and 
his  w^orld.  Thus  it  was  that  he  was  able  to  use  his 
great  powers  for  the  crisis  which  he  faced.  It  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  that  this  man  was  able  to  rise 
above  the  fog  of  Pharisaism  to  the  clear  air  of  reality. 
He  had  a  new  voice  because  he  had  a  clear  eye.  He 
had  lived  with  God  and  had  seen  things  as  they  were. 

His  words  rang  like  peals  of  thunder  over  the  moun- 
tains and  reverberated  down  the  wadys  to  the  Dead 
Sea.  They  echo  yet  through  the  centuries,  the  words 
of  this  Voice  in  the  Wilderness.  It  was  mighty  preach- 
ing that  smote  the  hearts  of  men.  Some  were  superfi- 
cial, as  always,  and  the  words  passed  over  their  heads. 
Others  had  only  a  secular  notion  of  the  kingdom 
and  began  to  dream  of  place  and  power  in  that  king- 
dom. The  self-indulgent  began  to  hope  for  change, 
for  a  new  king  who  would  destroy  the  law  and  the 
prophets.  The  poor  and  down-trodden  would  hope 
for    better    times    somehow.     But    the    devout  and 

»  New  Schaff-Herzog  Encycl.  2  n-po.<^jjT7js. 


94  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

deeply  spiritual  were  stirred  to  the  very  heart.  Men 
and  women  talked  religion  under  the  trees,  by  the 
river  brink,  on  the  rocks  of  the  desert,  by  the  road- 
side, at  home.  A  new  day  had  come  to  Israel.  A 
real  preacher  of  righteousness  had  spoken  again. 


CHAPTER  IV 

VISION 

**The  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  stoop 
down  and  unloose"  (Mark  1:7). 

1.  The  Wonder  About  John, — The  now  famous 
preacher  was  known  all  over  Palestine.  His  name 
was  upon  every  lip.  Within  the  space  of  six  months 
he  had  sprung  from  absolute  retirement  into  the  bold- 
est publicity.  John  had  become  the  sensation  of  the 
year  by  reason  of  the  novelty  of  his  message  and  the 
power  of  its  delivery.  He  had  thus  far  apparently 
held  back  one  aspect  of  his  message.  He  had  made 
it  plain  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  had  come  nigh. 
They  were  just  on  the  eve  of  the  greatest  event  in 
Jewish  history,  yea,  of  huma«n  history.  The  air  was 
big  with  destiny.  "  The  people  were  in  expectation."  ^ 
The  word  suggests  eager  expectancy,  on  the  tiptoe 
of  interest  with  the  flutter  of  excitement.  It  was  used 
of  the  attitude  of  the  people  when  they  waited  for 
Zacharias  to  come  out  of  the  temple.^  It  is  the  word 
employed  about  the  people  who  eagerly  awaited  the 
return  of  Jesus  from  Decapolis  to  Capernaum.^  It  is 
the  term  that  Luke  selects  to  picture  the  hopeful  look 

1  fl-poo-SoKwvTos  5e  tow  Aoow.  Luke  3 :  15,  The  verb  is  peculiar  to  Luke 
outside  of  Matt.  11:3  (the  word  used  by  John  in  the  embassy  to  Jesus); 
24:  50  (used  of  the  second  coming);  II  Peter  3:  12,  14  (second  coming 
also).  2  Luke  1:21.  3  Luke  2  :  40. 

95 


96  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  the  beggar  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  when  Peter  and 
John  said,  "  Look  on  us."  ^  The  eyes  of  all  were 
turned  on  John  the  Baptist. 

"  And  all  men  reasoned  ^  in  their  hearts  concerning 
John."  It  was  inevitable  that  the  question  should 
occur  to  many,  Luke  says,  "all,"  what  John  really 
was.  He  wrought  no  miracles,  he  made  no  claims 
about  himself.  He  had  fearlessly  denounced  the  sins 
of  the  people,  even  of  the  hierarchy  in  Jerusalem. 
He  had  spared  none,  high  or- low.  The  very  tense- 
ness of  his  preaching  had  wrought  upon  the  people  so 
that  they  had  to  work  the  matter  out.  If  the  Messi- 
anic Dispensation  was  at  hand,  as  constantly  an- 
nounced by  John,  who  was  the  Messiah  ?  Who  more 
likely  than  this  fearless  preacher  himself.  As  yet  this 
query  was  in  the  hush  of  the  heart.  But  John  either 
read  their  hearts  or  overheard  a  whispered  discussion 
between  two  earnest  souls.  It  was  at  best  a  surmise 
"whether  haply  he  were  the  Christ."^  The  use  of 
"answered"  by  Luke^  shows  that  John  all  of  a  sud- 
den realized  that  the  popular  mind  had  taken  this 
turn  about  him.  Evidently  the  time  had  come  for 
him  to  speak  plainly  on  the  subject.  This  he  did, 
probably  on  an  occasion  when  there  was  a  great 
crowd,  so  that  as  many  as  possible  could  hear  his 
words.  To  be  silent  now  would  be  to  be  disloyal 
to  the  Messiah,  whose  Forerunner  only  John  knew 

1  Acts  3:5. 

2  Siakoyt^ofieviav  Cf.  our  dialogue.  But  note  the  middle  voice.  This 
"dialogue"  was  in  the  heart,  not  yet  uttered. 

3  /u.^  TTore  avTos  elrj  o  xpioTos.  The  optative  is  due  to  the  indirect  ques- 
tion. Note  the  article  with  xpio-rds,  the  Anointed  One,  the  Messiah.  The 
MT  TTore  puts  it  delicately  with  a  shade  of  doubt. 

*  3 :  16. 


VISION  97 

himself  to  be.  Matthew  and  Mark  do  not  give  this 
reason  for  John's  utterance  on  this  point,  but  the 
point  is  really  implied  in  the  very  distinction  which 
John  here  draws  between  himself  and  the  Messiah. 
Mark^  says  that  "he  preached,  saying."  We  must 
understand  that  John  had  purposely  held  back  a  more 
particular  description  of  the  Messiah  himself  until 
now.  The  excitement  was  great  enough  as  it  was. 
John  probably  had  no  definite  idea  as  to  how  soon  the 
Messiah  would  appear.  He  knew  that  he  was  nigh. 
He  had  announced  that  fact.  It  was  in  all  likelihood 
a  sore  disappointment  to  John  to  find  that  his  own 
preaching  had  turned  people's  thoughts  to  himself 
rather  than  to  his  Lord.  Many  a  true  minister  is  sub- 
jected to  like  mortification.  These  hints  about  John's 
personality  come  at  the  very  height  of  his  reputation. 
He  is  on  the  very  crest  of  popular  esteem.  The  lamp 
was  burning  and  shining  with  resplendent  light,  so 
that  even  the  Jerusalem  ecclesiastics  were  willing  to 
rejoice  in  the  brilliance  of  the  new  luminary.^  But 
only  for  a  season.  They  will  indeed  soon  send  a 
formal  embassy  to  John  on  the  subject  of  his  claims,' 
showing  thereby  that^ John's  present  disclaimer  was  not 
accepted  at  once  by  all.  But  the  nobility  of  John 
comes  out  finely  here.  He  was  not  willing  to  sail  un- 
der false  colors.  He  wished  no  reputation  for  what  he 
was  not.  He  did  not  hesitate  a  moment.*  "Whom 
do  you  take  me  to  be?"  Paul  (Acts  13  :  25)  repre- 
sents John  as  saying  to  the  people. 

11:7.     eKiqpvaaev  Ae'ywi/.     This  imperfect   may  be  merely  descriptive, 
or  it  may  be  inchoative.     Cf.  Luke's  reason. 

2  John  5:  35.  3johnl:19fE.  <  Bruce  on  Matt.  3  :  11. 


98  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

2.  The  Mightier  than  John. — "John  was  perfectly 
aware  of  the  impression  produced  by  his  words.  He 
knew  that  they  were  breaking  stony  hearts  and 
crushing  strong  men.  Soldiers  were  crying  for  mercy 
and  feeling  the  sharp  edge  of  the  sword  of  his  mouth. 
Harlots  were  weeping  and  penitent."  ^  John  had 
brought  the  people  "  face  to  face  with  the  Unseen  " 
and  had  made  them  "realize  the  grandeur  of  God, 
and  feel  the  supremacy  of  righteousness  and  true  holi- 
ness." ^  But  John  was  not  deceived  by  all  the  mag- 
netism and  manifestation  of  his  preaching.^  He  was 
always  able  to  take  his  own  measure.  The  popular 
excitement  did  not  mislead  him  in  the  least.  The 
troubles  concerning  the  false  Samaritan  Messiah*  may 
have  been  partly  due  to  the  "  tension  of  mind  caused  by 
John's  teaching."  ^  John  had  something  in  his  ex- 
perience to  counterbalance  the  boundless  enthusiasm 
of  the  masses.  The  teachers  of  the  law  scouted  his 
claims  to  be  the  Forerunner  and  refused  his  baptism.^ 
Some  of  the  crowd  sneered  that  John  had  a  demon. '^ 
That  was!  the  true  explanation  of  his  peculiarities  of 
dress  and  diet  as  well  as  of  his  power  with  the  people. 
But  John  cared  little  for  all  this.  It  was  a  matter  of 
indifference*  to  him  what  people  thought  of  him  till  he 
found  that  many  were  mistaking  him  for  the  Messiah. 
This  knowledge  brought  John  in  his  consciousness 
face  to  face  with  the  Coming  One. 

'  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  261. 

2  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  p.  177. 

3  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  119. 

4  Josephus,  "Ant.,"  xviii,  4,  1  and  2. 
6  Farrar,  "Life  of  Lives,"  p.  177. 

6  Luke  7  :  30.  7  Matt.  11 :  18;  Luke  7  :  33. 

8  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  119. 


VISION  99 

The  people  needed  a  clear  word  about  the  King. 
"There  cometh  after  me  he  that  is  mightier  than  I."  ^ 
The  term  "  the  Coming  One"  occurs  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament as  a  description  of  the  promised  Messiah.^ 
Mark  and  Luke  represent  John  as  describing  the 
Messiah  as  "  the  mightier  than  I/'  ^  while  Matthew 
turns  the  expression  round:  "The  One  coming  after 
me*  is  mightier  than  I."  In  the  one  case  the  predicate 
is  "cometh"  and  accents  the  near  advent  of  the 
Mighty  One.  In  the  other  case  the  predicate  equals 
"  is  mighty  "  and  accents  the  strength  of  the  Coming 
One.  The  Jews,  according  to  the  Talmud,  fre- 
quently spoke  of  the  Messiah  as  Habba,  the  Coming 
One.^  The  phrase  in  itself  is  future  in  sense  though 
the  present  participle  is  used.  But  in  the  mind  of 
John  the  idea  is  that  of  near  future,  one  just  coming.^ 
John  knew  that  the  time  was  near  from  the  moral 
condition  of  the  period.  His  own  intuition  led  him 
to  see  this  much.^  But  Luke^  expressly  tells  us  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  had  come  to  John.  It  is  not 
scientific  to  exclude  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
from  John's  vision  in  this  crucial  point  in  his  message. 
He  had  already  said  repeatedly  that  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  had  drawn  near.®  John  instinctively  feels  that 
the  King  is  now  very  near. 


J  Mark  1 :  7;  Matt.  3:11;  Luke  3 :  16. 

2  Of.  John  11 :  27.     The  confession  of  Martha  6  xP'-<^'^°^  »  "i°5  ^oi)  Seov 
ei?  Tou  aoiTixov  epx6fievo<;.    Cf.  John  1 :9  (probable  interpretation).    So  John 

3  :  31.  ^6  icrxvporepoi  fjiov.  *  o  Se  biriario  /otov  epxdjU.ei/os. 

6  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  50.     Cf.  Ps.  118  :  26;   Zech.  9:9;   Mai.  3  :  1. 
*  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  83  f. 

Ubid.  8  Luke  3:2;  1  :  15. 

9  The  perfect  tense  iiyyiKev  is  used  by  Jesus  in  Matt.  26 :  45  f.  for  the 
approach  of  Judas  in  the  garden  and  the  hour  of  betrayal. 


100  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  here  depicts  the  Messiah  as  the  Mighty  One, 
mightier  than  himself.  It  is  no  mock  humility.  As 
already  noted  John  knew  his  power  over  the  people. 
Jesus  has  added  his  word  about  John's  real  greatness.^ 
But  John  is  perfectly  sincere  when  he  compares  him- 
self to  one  of  the  lowest  slaves  in  the  house  of  the 
Messiah.  The  humblest  menial  would  meet  the 
Master  of  the  house  at  the  door,  "stoop  down  and 
unloose"^  the  latchet  of  his  shoes.^  Matthew*  adds 
"to  bear"  the  shoes  on  into  the  house.  He  does  not 
feel  qualified^  to  act  in  this  humble  capacity  in  the 
presence  of  the  Coming  One. 

The  use  of  the  term  "mightier  than"  John  leads 
Bruce^  to  think  that  John  had  a  false  conception  of 
the  Messiah  as  one  whose  chief  attribute  was  strength 
(and  dignity).  But  surely  John  is  not  thinking  of  mere 
prowess.  It  is  rather  force  of  character  that  must 
enter  into  John's  notion  of  the  Mighty  One.^  The 
term  is  used  of  moral  and  spiritual  energy  also.*  It  is 
the  moral  grandeur  of  the  Messiah  that  causes  John 
to  feel  his  own  insigniJBcance  so  keenly.  It  is  the 
conception  of  the  greatness  of  the  Strong  Son  of  God 
that  fills  his  heart  rather  than  the  Good  Shepherd  or 
the  Prince  of  Peace.^  The  vision  which  John  has  is 
indeed  inadequate,  but  not  erroneous.     It  is  not  yet 

'Matt.  11:  11;  Luke  7:  28. 

2  Mark  1 :  7,  Kv>^as  AOo-at.    Note  punctiliar  act  (aorist).    Not  even  once. 
^  vnoBTJfjLaTa  (bound  Under  the  foot),   not   aavSdkia  (Matt.   6:9;    Acts 
12:8). 

*  ^ao-Ttto-at.     Aorist  also.     Single  act. 

5  Uavos.     "Not  fit  to  carry"  (Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  50). 

8  "Matthew,"  p.  84.  ^  ^  lo-xvporepo?  /xov. 

8  Of.  Heb.  5:7;  6  :  18.     Indeed,  taxi's  is  confined  to  the  moral  sense  in 
the  New  Testament.     Cf.  Mark  12  :  30;   Eph.  1 :  19;   Rev.  5  :  12,  etc. 

9  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  267. 


VISION  101 

based  on  personal  knowledge,  but  is  more  than  "re- 
ligious preconception."  ^ 

The  use  of  the  article  (the  Coming  One,  the  Mightier 
One)  suggests  that  he  ought  to  be  known  after  he 
comes.  John  will  later  testify  of  him  that  he  was 
before  him  as  well  as  after  him.^ 

3.  The  Messianic  Baptism. — The  baptism  of  John 
was  the  outstanding  characteristic  of  his  ministry. 
John  therefore  naturally  uses  that  to  show  the  superi- 
ority of  the  Coming  One.  He  will  surpass  John  in 
the  very  matter  in  which  the  people  thought  John  to 
be  supreme.  There  is,  of  course,  no  contrast  drawn 
between  the  water-baptism  performed  by  John  and 
that  performed  by  the  disciples  of  Jesus .^  John 
cannot  be  understood  as  reflecting  on  water-baptism, 
for  he  continued  to  practise  it  and  did  so  after  the 
disciples  of  the  Messiah  were  doing  the  same.*  John 
uses  his  literal  baptism  as  the  figure  for  the  entire 
work  of  the  coming  Messiah  and,  indeed,  for  the 
Messianic  Dispensation.^  The  report  in  Matthew^ 
of  John*s  w^ords  adds  the  explanation  of  the  nature  of 
his  baptism:  "I  indeed  baptize  you  in  water  unto 
repentance."  ^  His  baptism  was  a  "  repentance-bap- 
tism," a  baptism  marked  by,  or  preceded  by  repent- 
ance.^    John's  baptism  bound  the  baptized  to  lead 


'  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  p.  84. 

2  John  1 :  15.  He  has  gone  ahead  of  John  in  [rank  (ennpo^ev  fiov) 
as  he  was  before  him  in  essential  superiority  (Trpurd?  fiov).  At  the  mani- 
festation of  the  Messiah  he  took  the  place  ahead  of  John,  which  belonged 
to  him  by  his  nature.     Cf.  Westcott  on  John  1 :  15. 

>  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  48.  «  John  3  :  23-26. 

6  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  48.  «  3 :  11. 

'  eyw  fiev  Vfiai  /SaTrri^w  e;*  vSart,  eis  ixerdvoiav, 

8  Mark  1:  4;  Luke  3:3. 


102  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

a  life  worthy  of  the  repentance  already  professed.* 
John's  baptism  was  a  symbol  of  repentance,  a  picture 
of  the  spiritual  change  wrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
"The  Messiah,  will  steep  in  the  Holy  Ghost  those  who 
have  been  baptized  by  John."  ^  The  Coming  One, 
the  Messiah,  "is  coming  to  immerse  them  in  an  ele- 
ment far  more  potent — the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire."  ^ 
The  Messiah  will  bring  the  spiritual  baptism  symbol- 
ized by  the  water-baptism.  John  does  not,  of  course, 
mean  to  say  that  those  baptized  by  him  have  not  had 
the  spiritual  renewal.  But  the  Messiah  is  to  be  en- 
dowed with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  an  especial  sense.'*  It 
is  the  power^  of  the  Messiah  that  John  has  in  mind. 
Jesus  himself  after  his  resurrection  used  the  same 
image  of  baptism  for  what  is  to  take  place  on  the 
great  day  of  Pentecost.^  The  great  importance  of  this 
word  of  John  about  the  Messiah  is  seen  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  reported  by  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels,^  by 
the  Fourth  Gospel  ®  as  repeated  by  the  Baptist  on  a 
later  occasion,  by  Simon  Peter^  in  the  report  at  Jeru- 
salem of  his  experience  at  Csesarea,  in  the  house  of 
Cornelius,  by  Paul  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia,^^  who  men- 
tions John's  "baptism  of  repentance,"  and  explains 
that  John  pointed  to  the  one  who  was  to  come  after 
him.  So  at  Ephesus"  Paul  explained  that  John 
preached  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  was 

'  Luke  3:8.  2  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  120. 

3  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  28. 

4  Cf.  Isa.  11 :  2.     So  Enoch  49  :  3;  62  :  2;   Psalms  of  Solomon   17  :  42; 
Test,  of  the  Twelve  Pat.  (Levi  18,  Juda  24).     Cf.  Allen  on  Matthew,  p.  25  f. 

6  aiiTos  8e     Mark  1:8.  6  Acts  1  :  5. 

'  Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:8;  Luke  3  :  16. 

8  John  1 :  33.  »  Acts  11 :  16.  10  Acts  13  :  24  ff. 

"  Acts  19  :  2  ff. 


VISION  103 

symbolized  by  his  baptism  of  repentance.  Jesus  him- 
self will  not  literally  immerse  men  in  water,  nor  burn 
them  with  fire.  It  is  the  great  spiritual  energy  of  the 
Messiah  that  John  sees.^  The  language  of  the  Bap- 
tist here,  before  he  sees  the  Messiah,  is  well  illustrated 
by  the  words  of  Peter  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  when 
the  fulness  of  the  Spirit's  power  has  come  upon  the 
disciples.^  Mark^  has  "I  baptized  you,"  a  single  look 
at  John's  work. 

Matthew*  and  Luke^  add  "  and  in  fire,"  which  point 
is  not  reported  by  Mark.  The  addition  is  remarka- 
ble and  it  looks  like  a  mixture  of  images.  The  allu- 
sion remains  obscure,  and  we  may  probably  never 
know  exactly  what  was  John's  idea.^  Bruce  takes 
both  Holy  Spirit  and  fire  to  refer  to  the  judicial  func- 
tion of  the  Messiah.  "The  whole  baptism  of  the 
Messiah,  as  John  conceives  it,  is  a  baptism  of  judg- 
ment. ...  I  think  that  the  grace  of  Christ  is  not  here 
at  all."  ^  Bruce  takes  " spirit"  in  the  sense  of  "  wind." 
The  three  destructive  elements  (water,  wind,  fire)  all 
come  in  judgment  on  the  people.  But,  attractive  as 
this  looks,  it  is  not  conclusive.  In  support  of  this 
idea  it  is  urged  that  "fire"  in  Matt.  3  :  10  (Luke  3  :  9) 
undoubtedly  means  Messianic  judgment.  The  same 
thing  is  true  of  "unquenchable  fire"  in  Matt.  3  :  12 
(Luke  3  :  17).  It  appears  natural  to  take  fire  in 
Matt.  3:11  and  Luke  3  :  16  in  the  same  sense.  But 
if  that  be  granted  (for  the  moment)  it  does  not  follow 

»  Cf.  John  44  :  3;   Ezek.  36  :  25-27;  Joel  2  :  28;   3:1. 

2  Acts  2 :  16-24.  3  1:8,   epdirnaa.     PunctUiar. 

?3:  11.     KaX  nvpi.  63:  16. 

6  Plummer  on  Luke,  p.  95.  ">  On  Matthew,  p.  84. 


104  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

that  "Holy  Spirit"  refers  to  judgment  also.  That  is 
to  make  an  arbitrary  limitation  of  John's  language 
and  horizon  to  fit  a  theory.  John  did  himself  preach 
"repentance,"  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Broadus^ 
agrees  with  Bruce  as  to  "fire,"  but  refuses  to  limit 
the  "Holy  Spirit"  to  the  work  of  judgment.  This 
view  requires  the  "you"  to  include  both  classes,  the 
penitent  and  the  impenitent.  Plummer  once^  held 
this  to  be  "very  improbable,"  but  he  has  come  to  see 
it  to  be  possible,^  for  "  in  the  next  verse  the  two  classes 
are  clearly  distinguished."  This  is  the  common  view 
among  commentators,  as  Bruce  admits.^  Another 
view  takes  both  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire  to  refer  to 
the  cleansing  and  purifying  work  of  grace.  Appeal 
is  made  to  Mai.  3  : 2  f.,  where  the  Messiah  is  com- 
pared to  the  refiner's  fire  which  illuminates  and  puri- 
fies.^ By  this  view  the  baptism  of  fire  is  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  refiner's  fire  purifies  the 
silver  and  the  gold,^  but  this  refining  fire  is  also  likened 
to  a  furnace  which  consumes  all  who  do  evil.'^  Still 
others  take  the  figure  to  picture  the  fiery  trials  which 
Jesus  and  his  followers  must  pass  through.^  The 
matter  must  be  left  an  open  one,  but  the  startling 
image  was  doubtless  expanded  by  John  so  that  his 
hearers  understood  what  he  meant  by  the  allusion. 

»  On  Matthew,  p.  51  f. 

2  "Luke,"  p.  95. 

3  "Matthew,"  p.  29.  Plummer  ("Luke,"  p.  95)  rightly  considers  a 
reference  to  the  tongues  of  fire  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost  unlikely.  Ct. 
Acts  1 :  5. 

*  "Matthew,"  p.  84. 

5  Of.  Bengel,  in  loco. 

6  Holtzmann,  "Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  120. 
"Mai.  3:  19;  4:1. 

•Luke  12:  50;  Mark  10:  38  f.;    I  Pet.  1  :  4. 


VISION  105 

4.  The  Messianic  Judgment. — There  is  no  doubt  of 
the  element  of  judgment  in  John's  picture  of  the  Mes- 
siah in  Matt.  3  :  12  and  Luke  3  :  17.  But  the  image 
here  is  not  that  of  baptism.  It  is  that  of  the  winnow- 
ing shovel.^  It  is  a  bold  and  impressive  picture. 
The  Messiah  steps  forth  with  the  winnowing  shovel 
in  his  hand.  The  grain  and  chaff  together  are  cast 
up  before  the  wind.  The  grain  falls  down  together, 
while  the  chaff  is  blown  farther  away.  The  grain 
and  the  chaff  are  thus  separated  by  the  Messiah. 
The  grain  is  gathered  into  the  garners.^  The  chaff 
the  Messiah  will  burn  up  with  unquenchable  fire.^ 
The  adjective  is  used  either  of  a  fierce  fire  that  cannot 
be  extinguished  or  of  an  endless  fire  that  will  never 
go  out.^  It  is  not  clear  which  is  John's  idea.^  It  is 
never  safe  to  press  figurative  language  too  far.  It  is 
not  clear  whether  the  apocalyptic  language  of  John 
is  to  be  interpreted  of  eternal  punishment  of  the  in- 
dividual or  the  terrible  judgments  upon  the  people  of 
Israel  who  will  reject  the  Messiah  (cf.  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem).  The  destructive  force  of  fire  is  one  of 
the  most  powerful  agents  in  nature.  The  terrible 
forest-fires  of  modern  times  sweep  all  before  them, 
driving  men  and  wild  beasts  in  common  flight  to  a 
place  of  refuge.  The  conflagrations  at  Baltimore 
and  San  Francisco  have  left  a  deep  mark  upon  the 
modern  mind.     John  had  said  before  to  the  Pharisees 

*  ItTVOV. 

2  atzo&nK-q,  place  of  deposit  (aTroTii^rj/xO.  Cf.  Matt.  6  :  26;  13  :  30.  Cf. 
irapadjjKij,  in  I  Tim.  6  :  20. 

^TTvpl  a<T/3eo-Ta>  (cf.  asbestos).     Cf.  Lev.  6:  12f.;   Isa.  34:  8-10,  etc. 

*  Plummer  on  Luke,  p.  95  f. 

'i  KaraKavaet  (cf.  Matt.  13:30)  has  the  "perfective"  use  of  the  preposi- 
tion Kara  that  argues  for  inextinguishable  fire. 


106  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  Sadducees  that  the  Messiah  was  like  the  wood- 
man with  his  axe  at  the  root  of  the  tree,  to  fell  it  if  it 
be  found  without  fruit.  Here  he  is  depicted  as  the 
thresher  to  find  out  if  the  harvest  has  come  to  aught. 
John's  preaching  is  not  for  light-minded  and  dissolute 
people/  He  has  a  word  for  the  earnest  and  the  sin- 
cere. The  use  of  the  apocalyptic  imagery  of  Joel  by 
Peter  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost  is  a  good  example  of 
the  manner  in  which  apocalyptic  language  is  to  be 
interpreted.  The  words  of  Jesus  in  Matt.  24  and  25 
furnish  another  parallel.  John  wished  to  leave  the 
people  with  a  picture  of  the  Messiah's  power.  He  has 
turned  their  minds  away  from  flippant  thoughts  about 
himself.  They  need  to  have  searching  of  heart  in 
the  approaching  presence  of  the  Messiah  of  Israel. 
"  Behold,  the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven, 
and  all  that  do  wickedly  shall  be  stubble:  and  the 
day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor 
branch."  ^  One  can  imagine  the  hush  of  solemn  awe 
that  swept  over  John's  audience  as  he  spoke  of  the 
burning  of  the  chaff  in  language  that  recalled  the  ter- 
rible picture  of  Malachi. 

5.  The  Sign  of  the  Messiah. — Perhaps  some  of  the 
crowd  turned  round  to  see  if  the  Messiah  had  not 
really  appeared.  The  Messianic  hope  had  died  down 
a  good  deal  before  John  revived  it.  It  had  ceased  to 
be  an  active  one  in  the  popular  consciousness.^  It 
was  not,  indeed,  entirely  lost  with  the  people.     In  the 

»  Holtzmann,  "  Life  of  Jesus,"  p.  121.  2  Mai.  4  :  1. 

sschuerer,  "Jewish  People,"  etc.,  sec.  div.,  II,  p.  136. 


VISION  107 

prophets  it  was  "  an  essential  element  of  their  religious 
consciousness."  ^  It  had  at  first  been  a  better  hope 
for  the  nation  and  then  for  the  world.  It  had  also 
given  a  better  hope  for  the  individual.  Under  the 
Maccabees  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  had  revived  the 
national  hope  of  a  great  Messianic  empire  for  the 
Jews.^  But  Roman  power  had  dashed  those  hopes 
of  earthly  power.  Still  the  Pharisees  cherished  the 
dream  of  throwing  off  the  hated  Roman  yoke.  When 
the  Messiah  comes  he  will  do  that.  The  people  who 
heard  John's  burning  words  did  not  all  agree  in  their 
notions  of  the  Messiah.  Some  felt  that,  when  the 
Messiah  comes,  no  one  will  know  whence  he  comes.^ 
The  scribes  understood  from  Micah  5  : 2  that  the 
Messiah  would  be  born  in  Bethlehem.*  "There  is 
more  than  enough  to  show  that  the  people  generally 
were  expecting  a  sublime  yet  lurid  blending  of  heaven 
and  earth;  a  vengeance  upon  the  enemies  of  Israel, 
a  new  heir  and  occupant  of  the  throne  of  David,  a  y 
political  Leader,  a  great  Prophet,  a  resistless  King, 
who  should  use  his  supernatural  powers  to  promote 
his  interests,  to  judge  the  nations,  and  to  place  others 
in  a  position  of  civil,  intellectual,  and  political  su- 
premacy." ^  The  rabbis  had  formed  a  picture  of  the 
Messiah  quite  different  from  that  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  far  other  than  the  reality  as  seen  in  Jesus 
of  Nazareth.®  They  thought  more  of  him  as  King 
and  Deliverer,  and  less  as  Prophet  and  Priest.^     One 

1  Ibid.,  p.  129.  2  cf.  "  The  Psalms  of  Solomon." 

3  John  7  :  27,  31.  *  Cf.  Matt.  2 :  4  f.;  John  7 :  41  f. 

6  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  266. 
« Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  160. 
Ibid.,  p.  167. 


108  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

may  turn  to  the  Psalter  of  Solomon  and  to  the  Jewish 
portion  of  the  Book  of  Enoch  and  of  the  Sybilline 
Oracles  for  the  rabbinical  notion  of  the  Messiah. 
The  Talmud  also  preserves  to  some  extent  the  pre- 
Christian  point  of  view.  The  gospels  reveal  also  the 
Pharisaic  idea  of  the  Messiah.  The  repeated  desire 
of  the  Pharisees  for  a  sign  from  heaven  shows  how 
they  looked  for  a  heavenly  portent  in  connection  with 
his  coming. 

But  it  is  an  injustice  to  John  the  Baptist  to  limit 
his  conception  of  the  Messiah  to  the  Pharisaic  stand- 
point. He  saw  in  dim  outline,  but  he  saw  clearly 
what  he  saw.  On  the  other  hand/  we  need  not  set 
John  above  his  times  entirely,  nor  beyond  the  great 
Day  of  Pentecost.  The  disciples  of  Jesus  could  not 
grasp  clearly  the  idea  of  a  spiritual  kingdom  till  that 
day  of  illumination.  Just  before  Christ's  ascension 
the  disciples  still  look  for  a  temporal  kingdom.^  In- 
deed John  has  not  made  it  perfectly  clear  in  the  words 
preserved  to  us  what  his  idea  of  the  Messiah  was  in 
all  respects.  He  pulled  back  the  veil  far  enough  to 
see  the  presence  of  the  Messiah.  He  felt  the  presence 
of  the  Messiah  though  he  could  not  now  see  him. 
His  baptizing,  he  will  later  explain,  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  manifesting  the  Messiah  to  Israel.^  "And  I 
knew  him  not;  but  that  he  should  be  made  manifest 
to  Israel,  for  this  cause  came  I  baptizing  with  water." 
John  had  been  used  of  God  to  create  the  conditions 
under  which  the  Messiah  would  appear.''     John  may 

»  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  406. 

2  Acts  1:6.  3  John  1 :  31  f. 

*  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  319. 


VISION  109 

or  may  not  have  seen  the  boy  Jesus  in  his  early  days. 
There  is  no  proof  that  he  did.  But  certainly  he  had 
no  personal  acquaintance  with  Jesus  at  this  time, 
when  he  is  on  the  lookout  for  the  Messiah.  He  had 
a  sign  given  him  by  God.  Note  how  John  speaks  of 
his  relation  to  God:  "He  that  sent  me  to  baptize 
with  water,  he  said  unto  me."  *  This  word  lets  us 
into  John's  own  consciousness  of  his  mission.  He 
had  received  his  commission  from  God,  and  the  Father 
still  communicated  with  him.  In  a  word,  he  claims 
revelation  as  the  Fourth  Gospel  reports  him.  The 
sign  of  the  Messiah  was  for  John's  own  personal  bene- 
fit. The  Holy  Spirit  will  descend  on  the  Messiah. 
When  John  sees  that  event,  he  will  know  that  he  has 
met  the  Messiah.^  John  mentions  here  also^  the  fact 
that  the  Messiah  will  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
This  point  he  had  quite  laid  to  heart.  John  knew 
that  the  Messiah  was  near.  He  knew  what  the  proof 
would  be. 

6.  Where  is  the  Messiah? — The  Talmud  not  only 
admitted  that  the  Messiah  might  be  among  the  living, 
but  actually  tells  the  strange  story  that  he  had  been 
born  in  the  royal  palace  at  Bethlehem,  had  been  dis- 
covered by  Rabbi  Judan  and  had  been  carried  away 
in  a  storm.^  Jewish  tradition  was  busy  with  the  no- 
tion of  the  Messiah's  concealment.  Where  was  the 
Messiah?  Did  not  John  scan  carefully  the  face  of 
every  man  who  came  to  him  for  baptism?  He  may 
have  had  many  a  flutter  of  expectation,  but  the  sign 

'  John  1 :  33.  « Ibid,  s  Ibid. 

*  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  175. 


110  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

did  not  come.  What  will  the  Messiah  look  like? 
How  long  will  John  have  to  wait  before  he  comes? 
His  mission  was  to  manifest*  the  Messiah.  Till  that 
had  been  accomplished  he  had  not  done  his  work. 
He  must  be  able  to  say  to  the  people :  "  There  is  the 
Messiah!"  Did  he  have  his  moments  of  doubt  as 
the  Messiah  still  did  not  come?  The  strain  was 
great  upon  John.  The  crowds  came  and  went. 
John  preached  and  baptized  as  usual.  But  his  heart 
went  out  in  his  look  of  expectant  hope  as  he  turned  to 
each  new-comer.  "WTiere  is  the  Messiah?  John  is 
loyal  to  his  vision,  but  he  longs  for  the  reality.  He 
still  utters  his  cry:  "Repent,  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand,"  but  a  change  seems  to  have  come 
over  him  when  it  has  become  his  solemn  function  to 
discover  and  proclaim  the  King  himself.^ 

'  John  1  :  31.      Iva  iftavepuidr}  to*  'lerpaijA. 

2  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  312. 


CHAPTER  V 

REALITY 

I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou 
tome?"  (Matt.  3:14). 

1.  The  Coming  of  Jesus  to  the  Jordan, — The  news 
of  what  John  had  been  doing  came  to  Jesus,  the  car- 
penter, in  Nazareth.  The  two  men  seem  to  have 
been  unacquainted.  Mary  may  have  told  Jesus  of 
the  kinship  between  them.  Her  heart  must  have 
been  stirred  afresh  by  what  she  heard  of  John.  The 
slow  years  of  waiting  had  gone  by  and  now  at  last  the 
Forerunner  had  lifted  up  his  voice.  The  veil  of 
silence  rests  upon  the  thoughts  of  Mary  till  she  ap- 
pears at  the  wedding  in  Cana,  and  bids  the  servants  do 
what  Jesus  commands.^  Had  Mary  kept  all  the 
things  known  to  her  in  her  heart ^  all  the  time?  She 
pondered  them  often  through  the  years  and  watched 
the  grace  of  God  upon  Jesus  and  his  growing  favor 
with  the  people  of  Nazareth.^  But  did  she  come  to 
tell  the  great  burden  to  her  Son?  On  this  point  we 
have  no  light.  But  she  knew  long  ago  that  the  Boy 
had  come  to  consciousness  of  his  unique  relation  to 
the  Father  and  to  his  house.* 


1  John  2:5.  2  Luke  2  :  19.  3  i^d.,  2 :  52. 

*  Luke  2  :  50.  Of.  Weiss.  "  Life  of  Christ,-'  vol.  I,  p.  319.  Weiss  is  sure 
that  Mary  told  Jesus  of  her  hopes  about  him,  the  promise  of  Gabriel  to 
her. 

Ill 


112  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Jesus  is  now  probably  thirty  years  old.*  John  has 
apparently  been  preaching  some  six  months.  If 
John  began  in  the  spring,  it  would  be  autumn  when 
Jesus  appears  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan.  This  is 
all  conjecture,  as  we  have  no  notes  of  time  at  all.  The 
year  was  probably  A.  D.  26.  It  was  beyond  doubt 
with  great  stirring  of  heart  that  Jesus  left  his  humble 
home  in  Nazareth  to  go  to  the  Jordan.  He  w^as  not 
the  first  to  come  from  Galilee,  as  some  have  wrongly 
inferred  from  Matthew's  expression  "  from  Galilee."  ^ 
He  apparently  came  alone,  or  at  any  rate  he  appears 
alone  before  John.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  before 
coming  that  John  was  the  Messianic  Herald.  He 
had  probably  heard  the  talk  of  the  people  about  John, 
and  the  various  opinions  held  concerning  him.  He 
may,  indeed,  have  heard  of  John's  disclaimer  about 
being  himself  the  Messiah  and  his  proclamation  that 
the  Messiah  was  about  to  appear.  In  a  sense  the 
coming  of  Jesus  to  the  Jordan  was  his  response  to 
John's  description  of  the  Coming  One.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  insist  that  Matthew's  "  then"  ^  joins  the  visit  of 
Jesus  immediately  on  to  the  previous  description  of 
the  Messiah  by  the  Baptist.  The  term  is  a  very  gen- 
eral one  and  is  often  used  in  Matthew  (some  ninety 
times).^  Mark  merely  says  "in  those  days,"  while 
Luke^  implies  that  the  bulk  of  John's  work  was  over 
(not  of  time,  but  of  amount)  "when  all  the  people 
were  baptized."  ^     Jesus  had  waited  long  enough  for 

»  lUd.,  3 :  23.     Of.  Num.  4 :  3,  23,  30,  43,  47. 

2  Of.  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  31. 

3  Tore  Matt.  3:13.  «  1 :  9.  ^  3  ;  21. 

8  kv  Toj  ^aiTTi(T^r)vat.  anavra  tov  Xaov.     Strictly  Speaking,  the  aorist  inf. 
has  no  necessary  notion  of  precedence,  but  is  merely  punctiliar.     The 


REALITY  113 

the  work  of  John  to  show  its  true  nature  and  to  pre- 
pare the  people  for  his  own  ministry.  He  came  at 
what  he  evidently  considered  a  fit  moment  all  round/ 
It  was  not  that  Jesus  was  carried  away  by  the  masses 
in  their  enthusiasm  about  John,^  but  the  mighty  im- 
pression of  the  work  of  John  brought  matters  to  an 
issue  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  and  led  him  to  break  his 
silence  and  to  enter  upon  his  ministry.  His  visit  was 
not  in  the  nature  of  inspection,  but  rather  of  deep 
resolve  to  take  up  his  work  as  Messiah.  The  glow 
and  stir  of  mighty  thoughts  are  in  the  heart  of  Jesus 
as  he  leaves  Nazareth  for  the  sixty-mile  journey  to 
the  Jordan.  We  do  not  know  the  place  of  meeting. 
Later,  John  was  at  Bethany,  beyond  Jordan,^  but 
even  that  point  is  unknown.  Then  again,  John  may 
not  have  been  at  Bethany  when  Jesus  came.  It  is 
better  not  to  try  to  decide  the  impossible.  John  prob- 
ably had  many  baptizing  places  along  the  Jordan  at 
the  different  fords.  Jesus  came  to  be  baptized  of 
John.*    This  was  the  object  of  his  visit. 

At  last  John  and  Jesus  are  face  to  face.  Jesus^ 
"appears  before  John."  Out  of  the  ages  the  two 
men  of  destiny  meet.  John  had  spent  his  years  in 
preparation  for  this  moment.  It  is  the  culmination 
of  his  life-work.  It  is  the  beginning  of  the  ministry 
of   Jesus.     Silently   this   crisis   for   John   has   come. 

present  inf.  is,  of  course,  durative,  equals  while.  Both  are  common  in 
Luke.  It  is  only  by  implication  in  the  context  that  the  aorist  inf.  with 
iv  Tw  equals  after.     Cf.  Plumraer,  in  loco. 

1  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  410. 

2  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  267. 

'  John  1  :  28.     Bethabara  is  without  doubt  erroneous.        *  Matt.  3 :  13. 
6  Trpos  TOW  'iwavTji/.     Matthew  has  the  historical  present  napayiverai.  with 
vivid  dramatic  effect. 


114  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Like  two  stars  the  two  men  touch  each  other's  path 
and  move  on.*  They  meet  only  this  once.  John 
sees  Jesus  on  two  other  days,^  but  they  have  no  con- 
verse. Jesus  knows  who  John  is,  but  John  at  first 
does  not  know  who  Jesus  is.  He  was  to  him  a 
stranger.  What  is  there  in  this  stranger  different 
from  the  many  others  who  had  come  to  the  baptism 
of  John  ?  John  usually  had  a  private  interview  with 
those  who  sought  baptism  at  his  hands.^  It  is  prob- 
ably at  such  a  private  meeting  that  the  two  men  first 
see  each  other.  Jesus  is  conscious  of  the  significance 
of  their  meeting,  but  John  knows  only  that  here  is 
another  applicant  for  baptism. 

2.  John  Recognizes  the  Messiah. — It  is  true  that 
the  Synoptics  give  John's  preaching  before  the  bap- 
tism of  Jesus  and  the  Fourth  Gospel  afterward.^ 
But  there  is  a  retrospective  allusion  to  the  period 
before  the  baptism  in  John  1  :  31-33.  There  is  no 
reason  for  disputing  the  express  statement  of  the 
Baptist  that  he  did  not  know  Jesus  till  the  baptism.^ 
Besides,  Jesus,  though  not  a  disciple  of  John,^  was 
certain  of  the  divine  mission  of  John.^  There  is  a 
rather  unnecessary  amount  of  trouble  made'  over 
John's  instinctive  insight  into  the  character  of  Jesus 
when  he  first  greets  him.^     "The  gravest  perplexity 

1  Godet  on  Luke.  p.  117  f.  2  John  1 :  29,  35. 

3  Plummer  on  Matthew,  p.  30.  <  Bebb  in  "  Hastings's  D.  B." 

5  ovit  }76eiv  avrov  equals  no  knowledge  of  him,  not  mere  personal  ac- 
quaintance iiyvbiv).  Lange,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  23  f.,  curiously 
holds  that  John  knew  Jesus. 

6  Renan,  "Vie  de  Jfisus,"  p.  107. 

^  Lange,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  22, 

8  "The  apparent  inconsistency  between  Matt.  3:  14  and  John  1:33 
has  tested  the  sagacity  of  interpreters."  Lange,  "Life  of  Christy"  ygl. 
II,  p.  24. 


REALITY  115 

has  been  allowed  to  gather  round  this  apparent  dis- 
crepancy." ^  It  is  possible,  indeed,  that  John  may 
have  heard  something  of  the  early  history  of  his  kins- 
man through  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth.^  In  the  pri- 
vate interview,  when  Jesus  sought  baptism,  John  may 
have  learned  his  name  and  claims.  The  brief  dia- 
logue in  Matthew  may  be  the  conclusion  of  the  inter- 
view, not  the  whole  of  it.  It  may  have  been  the  pro- 
found impression  made  upon  John  by  the  powerful 
personality  of  Jesus  that  caused  him  to  protest:  "I 
have  need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to 
me?"  John  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  One  Sinless 
Man.  His  baptism  symbolized  repentance  from  sin, 
but  here  was  one  who  had  no  sin  and  whose  baptism 
would  be  meaningless.  Besides,  John  himself  had 
not  been  baptized.  Here  was  one  qualified  for  that 
service.  John  had  come  to  be  an  expert  in  reading 
the  human  face,  for  many  thousands  had  asked  bap- 
tism of  him.  But  he  had  never  looked  into  a  face 
like  that  of  this  Stranger.  John  was  face  to  face  with 
the  greatest  personality  of  history,  and  felt  a  moral 
awakening  in  his  own  sensitive  soul.  Here  was  "  the 
Christ  of  Reality"^  standing  before  John,  the  Com- 
ing One  of  whom  he  had  spoken  and  dreamed.  In 
these  brief  moments  of  rapid  intuition,  of  spiritual 
illumination,  John  may  have  gotten  more  light  than 
he  had  ever  received  before.^  The  mind  works 
quickly  in  such  supreme  moments.  The  purity  and 
the  greatness  of  the  Stranger  overawed  John.     "  There 

1  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  313. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  314.  3  Bruce  on  Matthew,  p.  85. 
*  Nourse  in  "Standard  Bible  Dictionary." 


116  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

was  something  in  His  look,  something  in  the  sinless 
beauty  of  His  ways,  something  in  the  solemn  majesty 
of  His  aspect  which  at  once  overawed  and  capti- 
vated the  soul  of  John.  ...  As  when  some  unknown 
dread  checks  the  flight  of  the  eagle,  and  makes  him 
settle  with  hushed  scream  and  drooping  plumage  on 
the  ground,  so  before  the  royalty  of  inward  happiness, 
before  the  purity  of  sinless  life,  the  wild  prophet  of 
the  desert  becomes  like  a  submissive  and  timid  child."  ^ 
John  tried  to  hinder^  Jesus  in  his  purpose  to  be  bap- 
tized. He  knows  that  he  is  standing  before  one  who 
is  superior  in  all  moral  and  spiritual  qualities.  He 
can  jeel  that.  How  much  more  John  means  by  his 
protest  we  do  not  know.  He  has  not  yet  seen  the 
sign  of  the  Messiah  which  will  confirm  his  present 
intuitions.  He  had  recently  spoken  of  the  one  who 
was  coming  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  he  was  not 
worthy  to  stoop  down  and  unloose.  All  unexpectedly 
John  finds  himself  in  the  presence  of  One  whose  pres- 
ence makes  him  feel  just  that  way.  Is  he  not  the 
Coming  One,  the  Messiah  ?  It  is  no  affectation  with 
John,  but  the  deepest  reverence  of  his  soul  which  he 
here  offers  to  the  One  Supreme  Man  whom  he  has 
now  met.  Matthew  alone  gives  this  perplexity  and 
reluctance  of  John  to  baptize  Jesus.  Mark  merely 
mentions  the  fact  of  the  baptism  without  any  inter- 
pretation, while  Luke  puts  the  baptism  of  Jesus  in  a 
subordinate  clause,  "Jesus  also  having  been  bap- 
tized." ^     He  seems  to  be  mainly  concerned  with  the 

1  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  115. 

2  &i€KiaKv^v.     Matt.  3  :  14.     Conative  imperfect  and  note  Sia  also. 
"3:21, 


REALITY  117 

divine  recognition  given  Jesus.  In  John^  the  baptism 
is  assumed  as  well  known,  and  the  Baptist  states  that 
he  has  seen  the  Holy  Spirit  come  upon  Jesus.  This 
the  Synoptics  show  took  place  at  the  baptism.  Bruce^ 
correctly  notes  that  this  order  illustrates  the  order  of 
the  gospels  from  Mark  to  John,  and  the  varying  in- 
terest in  the  subject  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus  by  John. 
But  Bradley^  labors  hard  to  prove  thereby  that  John 
did  not  recognize  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  did  not  bap- 
tize him,  and  that  the  followers  of  Jesus  invented  the 
baptism  of  Jesus  by  John  to  relieve  the  embarrass- 
ment from  this  awkward  situation.  This  is  surely  a 
strained  reversal  of  the  known  facts  about  John,  an 
arrangement  more  ingenious  than  true.  The  fact  that 
Matthew  proceeds  to  give  the  sign  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
at  the  baptism  shows  that  he  did  not  consider  what  he 
has  written  to  be  inconsistent  with  that.  The  knowl- 
edge that  would  come  at  the  baptism  with  the  sign  of 
the  Messiah  would  be  like  a  blaze  of  light  bursting  on 
John's*  mind.  But  even  now  the  Baptist  stands  a 
suppliant  before  the  One  who  has  come,  who  is  the 
true  light  that  was  to  come.  It  is  John's  mission  to 
bathe  in  this  light  so  as  to  give  a  clearer  witness  of  it.^ 
3.  The  Significance  of  the  Baptism  of  Jesus. — John 
was  humble  in  the  presence  of  Jesus,  as  was  Peter, 
later,  when  he  said  :  "  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my 
feet  ? "  ^    That  was  the  proper  spirit  in  the  presence 

1  1 :  32.  2  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

»  Biblical  World,  June,  1910,  pp.  399  ff.  Weiss  ("Life  of  Christ,"  vol. 
I,  p.  319)  says  that  the  question  in  Matt.  3 :  15  "cannot  possibly  involve 
a  contradiction  of  John's  declaration  just  alluded  to  (John  7  :  31,  33)." 

<  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  315.  ^  John  1  :  7  ff. 

«  John  13  :  6.     Of.  Smith.  "  In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  31. 


118  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  the  Messiah.  But  why  had  Jesus  come  to  be 
baptized  by  John?  Nothing  in  the  career  of  John 
has  given  rise  to  more  discussion.  As  already  stated, 
some  writers  deny  that  Jesus  was  baptized  by  John. 
Others  deny  that  John  acknowledged  Jesus  to  be  the 
Messiah.  In  Mark  the  narrative  is  objective  and 
the  baptism  of  Jesus  by  John  relates  the  work  of  the 
Messiah  to  that  of  the  Forerunner  and  furnishes  proof 
of  Messianic  authority.^  Luke  accents  the  spiritual 
earnestness  of  Jesus  on  the  occasion  ("praying")  and 
the  divine  endorsement  of  the  Son  as  he  enters  on  his 
work  at  the  age  of  thirty.^ 

But  Matthew  seems  concerned  also  with  another 
question — that  of  the  propriety  of  the  baptism  of 
Jesus  by  the  Baptist.  He  had  said  that  Jesus  came 
"to  be  baptized  of  him."  It  is  doubtless  true  that 
disciples  of  Jesus  were  puzzled  over  the  fact  that 
Christ  had  sought  baptism  at  the  hands  of  the  Baptist 
just  as  the  publicans  and  sinners  had  done.  But  the 
difficulty  is  a  natural  one,  and  could  have  occurred  to 
John  himself  at  the  time  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus.  It 
is  quite  gratuitous  to  urge  that  Matthew  has  invented 
this  reply  of  Jesus  "  to  get  rid  of  the  difficulty  of  a 
sinless  Messiah  accepting  repentance-baptism."  ^  We 
have  samples  of  such  invention.  Jerome''  quotes  the 
gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews  as  saying  :  "  Behold 
the  Mother  of  the  Lord,  and  His  brethren  said  to 
Him,  John  the  Baptist  baptizeth  for  the  remission  of 
sins;  let  us  go  and  be  baptized  by  him.    But  He  said 

1  Allen,  "  Matthew,"  p.  28.     Cf.  Matt.  21 :  24  ff. 

2Godet,  "Luke,"  p.  118. 

3  Plummer,  "  Matthew,"  p.  31.  !  "  Adv.  Pelag.,"  iii,  2. 


REALITY  119 

to  them,  What  sins  have  I  committed,  that  I  should 
go  and  be  baptized  by  him?  Except  perchance  this 
very  thing  that  I  have  said  is  ignorance."  The  words 
of  Jesus  in  Matthew  belong  to  another  world,  and  bear 
the  stamp  of  originality/  Indeed,  this  very  difficulty 
about  the  baptism  of  Jesus  is  itself  strong  evidence  for 
its  being  historical.^ 

There  are  really  two  questions  involved  :  the  bap- 
tism of  Jesus  at  all,  the  baptism  by  John.  The  reply 
of  Jesus  does  not  give,  in  general,  the  design  of  his 
baptism,  a  matter  also  worthy  of  discussion,  but 
rather  the  reason  why  it  should  be  done  by  one  who 
was  his  inferior.  This  was  the  precise  point  raised 
by  John  in  Matt.  3  :  14.  He  felt  that  he  had  nothing 
to  offer  Jesus.  The  rather  he  had  much  to  receive 
from  him.  This  is  the  exact  point  in  the  reply  of 
Jesus  :  "  Suffer  it  now :  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to 
fulfil  all  righteousness."  Jesus  means  to  say  that, 
though  superior  to  John,  as  John  has  just  said,  yet  for 
the  present^  their  real  relations  may  properly^  be  re- 
versed. Jesus  does  not  say  that  he  is  under  a  neces- 
sity, or  even  obligation,  to  be  baptized.  He  does  not 
admit  that  he  feels  the  "need"  of  baptism  at  John's 
hands  felt  by  John  toward  Christ.  The  "us"^  nat- 
urally refers  to  only  John  and  Jesus,  the  two  persons 
concerned  in  the  matter. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  purpose  expressed  by 


»  Cf.  also  the  language  in  the  "Preaching  of  Paul,"  in  the  Tractatus  de 
Rebaptismate,  17  (Hartel,  ii,  p.  90),  for  another  illustration, 
spiummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  31. 
»o<f>6s  aprt.     This  particular  juncture  (opn).  not  vvv. 
*  irpcTTOi'  eariv,  not  8el,  *  ^ju.tc. 


120  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Jesus  "to  fulfil  all  righteousness"  ^  covers  the  whole 
problem  of  the  sinlessness  of  Christ  and  the  baptism. 
It  meets  one  aspect  of  the  difficulty  raised  by  John. 
The  argument  implied  runs  thus  :  John's  baptism 
was  from  heaven  in  its  origin  and  authority^;  to  accept 
John's  baptism  meant  to  welcome  the  reign  of  heaven 
proclaimed  by  it;  therefore  it  was  incumbent  upon  all 
good  men  to  submit  to  it.^  If  Jesus  did  not  submit 
to  John's  baptism,  he  at  once  placed  himself  in  the 
attitude  of  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  who  rejected  the 
baptism  of  John.*  There  would  then  arise  the  anom- 
alous situation  of  the  Messiah,  whom  the  Forerunner 
had  proclaimed,  standing  apart  from  this  Forerunner 
and  apparently  hostile  to  him.  "It  was  impossible 
for  such  an  one,  on  the  ground  of  being  the  Messiah, 
or  even  on  the  ground  of  sinlessness,  to  treat  John's 
baptism  as  a  thing  with  which  He  had  no  concern. 
Love,  not  a  sense  of  dignity  or  of  moral  faultlessness, 
must  guide  His  actions.  .  .  .  Christ's  baptism  might 
create  misunderstanding,  just  as  His  associating  with 
publicans  and  sinners  did.  He  was  content  to  be 
misunderstood."  ^  It  was  appropriate  all  around  for 
Jesus  to  receive  baptism  at  the  hands  of  John.  It 
not  only  avoided  misunderstanding  of  one  sort  as 
the  Messiah  began  his  work.  It  gave  the  Messiah's 
sanction  to  the  noble  ministry  of  the  Forerunner.  It 
set  the  example  for  all  men  to  follow  the  teaching  of 
John  and  the  example  of  Jesus.     If  Jesus  had  not 

•  n\r)pSi<Tat,  naaav  Si.Kai.o<nvriv    Note  aorist    (punctiliar)   tense.    Every 
righteous  act. 

2  Matt.  21 :  25.  '  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  55. 

*  Luke  7  :  29.  ^  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  p.  86. 


REALITY  121 

himself  submitted  to  baptism,  a  powerful  argument 
against  baptism  by  the  disciples  of  Jesus  would  have 
existed.  The  later  command  by  Jesus  to  baptize 
would  have  lacked  the  force  of  the  Master's  own 
example. 

All  this  seems  obvious  enough.  It  is  when  we  seek 
to  find  the  full  significance  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus  that 
trouble  comes.  Some  of  the  ideas  offered  may  be 
waved  aside.  The  baptism  did  not  consecrate  Jesus 
as  a  priest.  He  w^as  not  a  priest  in  the  ceremonial 
sense  at  all.  He  was  not  connected  with  the  priestly 
line  and  was  a  priest  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek.^ 
It  was  not  a  vicarious  purification  as  the  representa- 
tive of  a  guilty  people.  It  was  not  the  Messianic  con- 
secration. The  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  that. 
It  was  not  the  public  introduction  by  John  of  Jesus 
to  the  multitude.  Apparently  the  multitude  did  not 
witness  the  baptism.  All  these  views  may  be  put  to 
one  side.^ 

Edersheim  is  impatient  with  all  such  ideas.  He 
holds  that  Jesus  had  no  ulterior  motive  at  all.  It 
may  be  questioned  if  the  matter  is  quite  so  simple 
as  that.  Kirtley^  considers  it  to  be  the  symbolical 
fulfilment  of  all  righteousness.  That  is  certainly  not 
all  that  is  meant,  but  it  is  possible  that  this  idea  may 
be  latent  in  the  act  of  Jesus.  Weiss^  urges  that  the 
symbolical  character  of  the  act  must  be  kept  in  view. 

1  Cf.  Broadus  on  Matthew,  p.  55. 

2  Cf.  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  pp.  316  ff.;  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"' 
vol.  I,  pp.  322  f.;  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  pp.  116  f.;  Edersheim, 
"Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  pp.  279  ff.;    Broadus,  "Matthew,"  pp.  55  f. 

3  "Design  of  Baptism," 

«  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  pp.  322  f. 


122  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

True,  Jesus  had  no  sins  to  confess  nor  to  be  symbol- 
ized by  the  act  of  immersion,  but  he  entered  upon  a 
new  phase  of  his  life-work.  In  a  fuller  sense  it  is 
true  that  the  baptism  prefigured  Christ's  own  death 
and  resurrection  as  afterward  explained  by  Paul/ 
In  a  sense,  also,  Jesus  put  himself  on  a  par  with  other 
men.  The  solidarity  of  the  race  was  illustrated  by 
/  this  act  of  Christ.  It  was,  in  truth,  a  vow  of  devotion 
to  the  Messianic  kingdom  on  Christ's  part,  an  oath  of 
allegiance,  as  it  is  with  all  who  are  baptized.  He 
came  like  any  other  man  and  submitted  to  John's  bap- 
tism, though  the  act  did  not  have  the  same  symbolism 
for  him  that  it  did  for  others.  It  was,  besides,  his 
duty  to  follow  the  command  of  God,  as  already  stated. 
This  last  is  the  only  point  made  by  Jesus  with  John, 
though  these  others  just  mentioned  may  have  been 
involved  more  or  less.  Jesus  was  in  no  mood  for  con- 
troversy. He  mentions  the  most  obvious  reason.  It 
satisfies  John  and  he  baptizes  him  in  the  Jordan. 
This  was,  in  truth,  the  climax  of  John's  own  work, 
but  Jesus  did  not  submit  to  baptism  for  that  reason. 
The  practical  aspect  of  the  matter  for  the  Christian 
to-day  is  that  of  the  example  of  Jesus.  If  he  sub- 
mitted to  baptism,  is  the  disciple  above  his  Lord  ? 

4.  The  Sign  from  Heaven. — After  the  baptism 
Jesus  "  went  up  straightway  from  the  water."  ^ 
Luke^  adds  that  he  was  praying.     It  was  with  Jesus 

»  Rom.  6  :  2-6. 

2  Matt.  3 :  16.  Out  of  the  water,  Mark  (1 :  10)  has  it,  e/c  toC  vSaros. 
More  graphic  than  Matthew. 

3  3  :  21.  Lange  ("  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  25)  says  :  "Jesus  had  im- 
mersed himself  by  the  prayer  of  the  heart  in  the  abyss  of  Deity,  even 
while  He  was  being  immersed  in  the  stream." 


REALITY  123 

no  mere  ceremonial  rite.  He  had  no  sins  of  his  own 
to  be  praying  about,  it  is  true,  but  he  had  the  sin  of 
the  world  on  his  heart.  The  Messianic  consciousness 
of  Jesus  is  a  theme  that  has  called  forth  much  discus- 
sion. Jesus  at  twelve  years  of  age  revealed  signs  of 
his  consciousness  of  a  peculiar  relation  to  the  Father.* 
In  the  temptations  which  follow  the  baptism,  as  told 
in  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  Jesus  is  fully  conscious  of  the 
mission  which  he  has  undertaken.  It  is  not  attrib- 
uting premature  conceptions  to  Christ  to  suppose  that 
he  himself  saw  a  meaning  in  his  baptism  that  was  con- 
cealed from  John  and  from  us.  In  epitome,  to  him 
the  baptism  foreshadows  the  tragedy  of  the  cross. 
"The  extraordinary  manifestations  about  to  be  re- 
lated thus  become  God's  answer  to  the  prayer  of 
Jesus,  in  which  the  sighs  of  His  people  and  of  man- 
kind found  utterance."  ^ 

It  is  a  vision  that  Jesus  has  as  he  comes  out  of  the 
water.  The  heavens  "were  opened"^;  "rent  asun- 
der," *  according  to  Mark's  more  graphic  phrase. 
Jesus  will  use  the  symbol  of  the  rent  heavens  to 
Nathanael  in  his  picture  of  the  free  intercourse  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth  through  the  Son  of  man.^ 
The  vision  was  primarily  for  Christ,^  but  John  the 
Baptist  also  saw  it.  "I  have  beheld  the  Spirit  de- 
scending as  a  dove  out  of  heaven,  and  it  abode  upon 
him."  ^  John  carried  that  vision  with  him  as  a  per- 
manent possession.^    He  can  still  see,  as  he  later 

»  Luke  2  :  49.  2  Qodet,  "  Luke,"  p.  118. 

2  rjvewx^w^^  (Matthew  and  Luke).  *  o-xtfo/neVovs. 

6  John  1  :  51.  «  Swete,  "Mark,"  p.  8. 

»  John  1 :  32. 

8  TfitJea/ixai.     Perfect  tense  (punctiliar  plus  linear). 


124  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

described  it,  the  Holy  Spirit  coming  out  of  the  opened 
heaven.  This  was  the  sign  of  the  Messiah  that  had 
been  promised  the  Baptist/  Whatever  doubt  had 
lingered  in  the  mind  of  John  was  now  completely 
swept  away.  He  could  ask  no  more.  He  had  in 
deed  and  in  truth  baptized  the  Messiah.  It  was  a 
high  and  holy  moment  with  John,  and  the  gospels 
are  silent  as  to  his  emotions.  Perhaps  it  was  for  this 
holy  hour  that  Jesus  had  waited  to  be  alone  with  John.^ 
This  was  the  real  baptism,  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  John  had  said  the  Messiah  would  bestow.^ 
Now  the  Messiah  himself  had  received  in  all  fulness 
this  baptism.  "The  contrast  between  this  anointing 
of  the  Messiah,  this  coronation  of  the  promised  King, 
and  the  Herald's  proclamation  of  the  coming  of  the 
Kingdom  is  remarkable."  ^  With  John  fire  is  the 
fitting  symbol  of  the  Spirit's  baptism,  or  at  least  of 
one  phase  of  the  Messianic  baptism.  But  the  dove 
is  the  emblem  of  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  upon  Jesus. 
Both  points  of  view  are  true.  The  fire  searches  and 
consumes;  the  dove  is  gentle  as  the  Messiah  is  "meek 
and  lowly  in  heart."  ^  Though  the  heavens  had  been 
opened  suddenly,  the  descent  of  the  dove  was  gentle, 
hovering  over  Jesus  and  then  resting  upon  him.^ 

We  need  not  speculate  on  the  question  whether  it 
was  an  actual  dove  or  whether  the  vision  just  looked 
like  a  dove.     Luke^  alone  has  "in  a  bodily  form." 

>  John  1 :  33.  2  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  32. 

3  Weiss,  "  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  323. 

*  Plummer,  "  Matthew,"  p.  33. 

6  Matt.  11 :  29.     Of.  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  33. 

6  Weiss,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  324. 

?  3  :  24.       cco/iiaTiKcu  ei5et. 


REALITY  125 

That  naturally  suggests  an  actual  dove.  It  is  pos- 
sible, of  course,  that  there  was  nothing  visible  to  the 
eye,  that  John  and  Jesus  saw  with  the  eye  of  the  soul. 
The  words,  however,  naturally  suggest  a  visible  mani- 
festation. Symbolical  visions  had  been  granted  to 
Moses  and  the  other  Old  Testament  prophets.  The 
purpose  of  this  vision  was  twofold.  It  gave  the  Bap- 
tist the  promised  proof  of  the  Messiah,  and  it  marked 
the  official  entrance  of  the  Messiah  on  his  mission, 
like  the  anointing  of  the  King.^  This  was  the  heavenly 
anointing.  Jesus  was,  of  course,  in  closest  fellowship 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  all  of  his  earthly  life  from  his 
very  birth. ^  The  Cerinthian  Gnostics  held  that  this 
coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  Jesus  was  the  descent  of 
the  Messiah  on  the  man  Jesus.  What  is  true  is  that 
this  is  the  official  endowment  of  Christ  for  his  mission. 
It  is  a  great  moment  for  Jesus  and  for  John.  John 
had  said  that  the  Messiah  was  nigh.  Now  he  can  say 
that  the  Coming  One  has  come.  The  hour  of  destiny 
has  struck.  John  has  much  to  think  of  now,  but  more 
is  to  come. 

5.  The  Fathers  Approval. — John  heard  the  Voice 
out  of  the  heavens.  Indeed,  in  the  correct  text  in 
Matt.  3  :  17,  the  Voice  is  addressed  to  John  :  "This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  This 
is  the  form  in  which  the  words  are  spoken  on  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration,  in  all  three  Synoptics.^ 
There  the  Voice  speaks  to  Peter,  James  and  John  : 
"  Hear  ye  him."     In  John  12  :  28  a  third  time  the 

»  Plummer,  "Luke,"  p,  99.  2  Luke  1 :  35. 

8  Matt.  17  :  5;  Mark  9:7;  Luke  9 :  35. 


126  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Father  speaks  in  audible  voice,  but  here  it  is  for  the 
comfort  of  the  Son,  who  has  cried  out  for  light.  Each 
of  the  three  times  the  Son  has  been  praying,  and  the 
Father  answers  his  prayers.  The  form  of  the  words 
in  Mark*  and  Luke^  is  an  address  to  Jesus  :  "  Thou 
art  my  beloved  Son;  in  thee  I  am  well  pleased. '*  The 
form  in  Mark  and  Luke  represents  the  Voice  after  the 
baptism  as  spoken  for  the  cheer  of  Jesus.  That  in 
Matthew  is  for  the  benefit  of  John.  Both  objects 
w^ere  accomplished,  whatever  was  the  original  form  of 
the  language.  It  is,  of  course,  abstractly  possible  that 
the  words  were  repeated  in  the  two  ways. 

The  Voice  is  not  designed  to  convince  the  Baptist 
of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  That  function  was  per- 
formed by  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Mes- 
siahship is  not  mentioned,  but  the  Sonship.  Whether 
to  John  this  meant  the  full  deity  of  Jesus  is  more  than 
doubtful.^  We  need  not  credit  John  with  a  developed 
system  of  theology  like  that  of  Paul.  But  the  words 
will  remain  in  his  mind  and  heart  and  will  help  to 
clarify  his  ideas  about  the  Messiah  in  coming  days. 
Now  that  he  has  actually  seen  the  Messiah,  the  vague- 
ness will  disappear,  and  John  will  have  a  positive  note 
of  identification  to  sound.  He  will  soon  call  Jesus 
"the  Son  of  God." 

The  Father  has  good  pleasure  in  the  Son.  "  Behold 
my  servant,  I  uphold  him;  my  chosen  one,  my  soul 
delights  in  him.     I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him."  * 

'  1 :  11.     Note  eirSoKTjo-a.     Sort  of  timeless  aorist  indicative. 

2  3  :  22.  Cf .  Ps.  2:7.  In  Luke  a  Western  reading  substitutes  the  words 
of  the  Psalm. 

3  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  34,  Cf.  Briggs,  "Messiah  of  the  Gospels," 
p.  77.  *  Isa.  42  :  1.     Cf.  Matt.  12  :  18. 


REALITY  127 

One  can  well  understand  how  gracious  words  of  ap- 
proval from  the  Father  were  to  Jesus.  He  may  have 
had  some  natural  shrinking  from  the  formal  entrance 
upon  his  world  task.  The  soul  of  Jesus  will  cry  out 
in  Gethsemane,  and  even  here  the  dim  shadow  of  the 
Cross  may  have  come,  the  long  shadow  of  the  morn- 
ing. He  had  not  yet  turned  to  the  people.  How  will 
they  receive  him  and  his  message  ?  But  most  impor- 
tant of  all  to  Jesus  at  this  juncture  was  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  Father's  presence  and  approval.  Nothing 
else  really  mattered  if  that  was  true.  "Thou  lovedst 
me,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world."  *  How  vivid 
a  consciousness  of  his  pre-existence^  Christ  had  we  do 
not  know.  The  day  will  come  when  he  will  pray 
about  "the  glory  which  I  had^  with  thee  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world."  Into  that  Holy  of  Holies 
we  may  not  go.  But  here  is  fellowship  between 
Father,  Son  and  Spirit  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
Messiah's  work.  The  heaven  is  opened,  and  it  was 
never  closed  for  Jesus  save  for  one  brief  moment  when 
the  Father's  presence  was  withdrawn  as  he  hung  on 
the  Cross.''  But  Jesus  can  go  forth  in  the  strength  of 
this  hour  to  meet  the  Tempter  in  the  wilderness,  to 
meet  the  world  which  he  has  come  to  save. 

John  leaves  Jesus.  Or  did  Jesus  leave  John? 
Did  he  cast  another  glance  at  the  Messiah  as  he  faded 
from  view  ?  Now  that  he  is  gone,  is  it  all  true  ?  We 
cherish  the  smallest  details  of  our  great  experiences. 
The  world  is  never  the  same  for  the  Baptist  again.    He 

1  John  17  :  24.  2  cf.  John  17  :  5. 

» elxoi'.     Imperfect  (durative).  ?  Matt.  27  :  46. 


128  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

has  had  his  day,  a  glorious  day.  True,  the  people 
still  flock  about  him  and  clamor  for  baptism  as  before. 
But  there  is  a  wistful  look  in  John's  eye  never  there 
before.  He  is  glad  with  a  strange  joy.  Will  the  people 
believe  him  if  he  unfolds  to  them  what  has  come  into 
his  life?  That  is  now  his  task,  to  make  plain  to  the 
people  that  the  Messiah  has  already  come.  He  knows 
full  well  what  it  will  signify  to  himself  and  his  ministry. 
It  will  mean  the  setting  of  his  sun.  The  people  will 
turn  from  the  Forerunner  to  see  the  Messiah  himself. 
There  is  need  for  mental  readjustment  on  John's 
part.  But  John  feels  in  his  heart  that  all  is  well.  He 
has  seen  the  Lord's  Anointed.  He  was  in  truth  not 
worthy  to  stoop  down  and  unloose  his  shoes.  And  yet 
he  had  baptized  him.  That  was  honor  enough  for 
any  man.  He  had  seen  the  Spirit  like  a  dove  rest  upon 
the  Messiah.  He  had  heard  the  Father's  word  of 
identification.     He  had  fulfilled  his  mission  in  life. 


CHAPTER  VI 

TEMPTATION 

"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world"  (John  1:29). 

1.  A  Month  of  Reflection. — Jesus  went  his  way  to 
the  wilderness  out  of  which  John  had  come.  It  is  no 
invention  nor  artificial  parallelism  to  which  we  owe 
the  wilderness  preparation  of  Moses  in  Midian  (forty 
years),  of  John  the  Baptist  in  Judea  (several  years), 
of  Jesus  in  Judea  (forty  days)  and  of  Paul  in  Arabia 
(about  three  years).  A  period  of  self-adjustment  in 
each  case  was  demanded  and  was  wise.  The  baptism 
of  Jesus  marked  an  epoch  in  his  life.  "  It  was  the  true 
moment  of  His  entrance  on  a  new  life.  Past  years  had 
been  buried  in  the  waters  of  Jordan.  He  entered  them 
as  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Man;  He  rose  from  them.  The 
Christ  of  God."  ^  These  words  of  Geike  are  rhetorical, 
and  yet  they  contain  a  large  element  of  truth.  The 
baptism  in  water  had  linked  Jesus  in  a  formal  way 
to  John's  campaign  for  righteousness.  He  had  ac- 
knowledged to  John  that  he  was  the  Messiah.  The 
baptism  of  the  Spirit  had  set  him  apart  for  his  Mes- 
sianic work.  The  Voice  of  the  Father  had  proclaimed 
him  as  the  Son  of  God.    He  now  had  in  audible  words 

»  Geike,  "  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  414. 
129 


130  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  Father's  endorsement  for  his  work.  So  Jesus  went 
to  the  wilderness  in  the  strength  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
meet  the  Tempter.  No  one  can  conquer  men  for  God 
who  cannot  first  conquer  the  devil  with  the  Spirit  of 
God.  The  devil  stands  between  the  Redeemer  and 
man. 

Meanwhile  the  Baptist  goes  on  with  his  work.  Ap- 
parently as  yet  the  crowds  know  nothing  of  the  great 
event  between  John  and  Jesus.  As  there  were,  so  it 
seems,  no  witnesses  of  their  interview,  John  took  some 
time  for  reflection  before  he  made  formal  announce- 
ment that  the  Messiah  had  actually  come.  That  was 
a  fateful  word,  not  to  be  recalled  when  once  he  had 
let  it  go.  There  is  one  thing  that  he  must  have  felt  at 
once  :  Now  that  he  had  seen  the  Messiah,  how  did  his 
former  ideas  and  statements  correspond  with  the  re- 
ality ?  He  had  tried  to  expound  the  Old  Testament 
teaching  concerning  the  Messiah.  John  probably  made 
a  careful  examination  of  this  teaching  in  the  light  of  his 
great  experience.  At  some  points  he  probably  found 
occasion  for  revision  of  his  form  of  statement.  A 
natural  modification^  of  his  words  would  come,  in 
clarification  of  his  vision,  a  widening  of  his  horizon, 
a  deeper  grasp  of  the  essential  elements  in  the  Mes- 
siah's work.  We  shall  watch  his  words.  The  apoca- 
lyptic language  is  less  prominent  in  the  messages  of 
John  that  are  preserved  for  us  after  the  baptism  of 
Jesus.  The  note  of  wrath  and  judgment  had  been 
dominant  in  John's  teaching  about  the  Messiah  before 
that  event.     Now  the  note  of  love  and  redemption 

'  Nourse  in  "  Standard  Bible  Dictionary." 


TEMPTATION  131 

comes  to  the  fore.  It  had  not  been  absent  before 
(cf.  repentance,  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit).  Now  it 
naturally  is  uppermost.  John  did  not  have  to  make 
a  fundamental  revision  of  his  teaching  about  the  Mes- 
siah. It  is  rather  a  fuller  emphasis  on  the  spiritual 
and  redemptive  side  of  his  work.  He  may,  indeed, 
have  been  puzzled  by  what  he  had  just  seen  and 
heard.  The  truth  was  so  much  richer  than  he  had 
imagined.  But  John  was  not  a  man  to  dodge  issues 
or  to  hedge.  With  the  new  light  in  his  possession  he 
continues  to  preach  and  to  grapple  with  his  fresh 
problems.  When  he  speaks  on  this  phase  of  the  sub- 
ject again,  he  must  have  a  clear  word  and  a  sure 
word.  When  we  recall  how  it  took  the  entire  min- 
istry of  Jesus  and  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  at 
Pentecost  to  illumine  the  mind  of  Peter  on  the  signifi- 
cance of  Christ's  person  and  work,  we  can  have  the 
more  sympathy  with  the  struggles  of  the  Baptist  at 
this  period.  The  night  was  passed  and  the  day  had 
dawned,  but  he  was  not  yet  accustomed  to  the  light, 
and  more  light  was  coming. 

We  owe  our  knowledge  of  the  attitude  of  John  to 
Jesus,  during  the  period  following  Christ's  baptism,  to 
the  Fourth  Gospel.  This  Gospel  assumes  and  im- 
plies the  baptism  of  Jesus  by  John  in  various  ways, 
and  once  expressly  mentions  it.^  The  frequent  echoes 
of  the  words  of  John  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  demand 
a  connection  of  Jesus  with  John  such  as  the  synoptic 
account  of  the  baptism  reveals.^    The  attitude  of  cer- 

1  John  3  :  26. 

2  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  273. 


132  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

tain  critics*  toward  the  Fourth  Gospel  makes  some 
men  timid  in  the  use  of  this  book  as  an  historical 
document.  But  I  do  not  hesitate  to  avow  my  own 
conviction  that  John  the  Apostle  is  the  author  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel,  and  that  he  wrote  out  of  fulness  of 
personal  knowledge,  with  the  exalted  spiritual  inter- 
pretation of  an  old  man  who  looked  across  the  long 
years  to  the  first  days  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  on 
earth.  He  has  his  own  peculiar  style  and  spirit,  but 
the  historical  reality  is  present,  and  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  his  conception  of  Christ  occur  in  the  Sy- 
noptic Gospels.  The  events  given  in  John's  Gospel 
for  the  most  part  supplement  those  narrated  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels.  The  description  of  the  Baptist 
given  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  not  only  demands  the  sy- 
noptic account,  but  it  harmonizes  with  it,  fills  it  out, 
interprets  it,  when  allowed  to  have  its  natural  meaning.^ 
2.  The  Committee  from  Jerusalem. — Farrar'  is  very 
precise  as  to  the  time  of  the  embassy,  fixing  it  "the 
day  previous  to  our  Lord's  return  from  the  wilderness." 
That  is  possible,  of  course,  if  Jesus  came  directly  to 
Bethany,"*  where  John  was  now  baptizing.  The  loca- 
tion of  this  Bethany  beyond  Jordan,  as  already  stated, 
is  unknown.  It  was  somewhere  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  river,  probably  about  half-way  between  the  Dead 
Sea  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  We  do  not  at  all  know 
that  John  had  remained  in  the  same  place  during  the 

1  Cf.,  for  instance,  Bacon,  "The  Fourth  Gospel  in  Research  and  Debate" 
(1910).  Per  contra,  among  recent  defenders  of  the  Johannine  authorship, 
note  Drummond,  "  An  Inquiry  into  the  Character  and  Authorship  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel"  (1904),  and  Sanday,  "Criticism  of  the  Fourth  Gospel" 
(1905). 

2  Cf.  Edersheira,  "  Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  309. 

3  "  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  143,  *  John  1 :  28. 


TEMPTATION  133 

forty  days  while  Jesus  was  in  the  wilderness.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  John  had  kept  moving  up 
the  river,  having  crossed  over  to  the  eastern  side. 

"  Who  art  thouf* — The  news  of  John's  work  by  the 
Jordan  had  already  reached  Jerusalem,  as  we  know 
from  the  Synoptic  Gospels.^  The  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees  had  themselves  come  in  large  numbers  to 
make  a  personal  investigation  of  the  Baptist  and  his 
work.^  They  had  received  a  decided  rebuff,  but  ap- 
parently did  not  make  a  hostile  report  concerning 
John  on  their  return  to  Jerusalem.  These  leaders 
were  manifestly  powerfully  impressed  by  the  hold  of 
John  on  the  masses,  many  of  whom  had  actually 
come  to  wonder^  if  John  himself  were  not  the  Messiah 
of  whom  he  spoke  so  graphically.  They  probably 
reported  this  perplexity  of  the  multitude  to  Jerusalem. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that,  so  far  as  we  know,  the 
scene  between  John  and  Jesus  at  the  Jordan  was  still 
a  secret  between  these  two.  Neither  the  public  nor 
the  rulers  in  Jerusalem  were  aware  of  the  sudden  new 
turn  in  the  whole  situation. 

It  is  not  certain  that  the  formal  committee  sent 
back  to  John  was  directly  from  the  Sanhedrin.  Eders- 
heim*  is  quite  positive  that  this  was  not  the  case, 
since  such  a  question  as  the  status  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist could  hardly  come  before  the  Sanhedrin  in  an 
official  capacity.  That  is  probably  true,  but  all  the 
same  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  the  recog- 
nized leaders  of  Jewish  thought  and  life  in  Jerusalem, 

»  Matt.  3  :  5;  Mark  1:5.  2  Matt.  3:7.  »  Luke  3  :  15. 

*  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  309. 


134  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  it  is  quite  probable  that  as  individuals  these  mem- 
bers of  the  Sanhedrin  sent  the  committee  to  John. 
We  do  not  know  that  the  committee  was  sent  from 
an  evil  purpose/  The  motives  may,  in  fact,  have  been 
varied,  though  it  is  difficult,  in  view  of  all  that  we 
know,  to  consider  the  deputation  as  wholly  friendly.^ 
The  Pharisees^  were  the  prime  movers  in  the  matter 
of  sending  this  embassy  to  John,  though  they  shrewdly 
managed  to  see  to  it  that  only  Sadducees  W/Cre  on  the 
committee.  "Priests  and  Levites"  *  alone  were  sent, 
and  they  were  Sadducees.  The  point  was  probably 
made  that  "the  colleagues  of  John  the  Priest"^ 
should  be  chosen  for  this  purpose  rather  than  the 
rabbis,  since  the  priests  and  Levites,  if  going  alone 
without  the  Pharisees,  might  avoid  another  denuncia- 
tion from  John,  and  might,  in  general,  be  more  ac- 
ceptable to  him.  The  general  term  "the  Jews,''  in 
John  1  :  19,  is  introductory,  and  is  explained  by  "  the 
Pharisees"  in  1  :  28.  The  Pharisees  were,  of  course, 
the  more  numerous  party,  and  often  had  their  way 
against  their  powerful  rivals  in  the  councils  of  the 
Sanhedrin.^ 

The  event  justified  this  piece  of  worldly  wisdom  on 
the  part  of  the  Pharisees.  They  were  received  with 
courtesy  and  with  frankness.'    They  go  directly  at 


'  Westcott,  in  loco. 

2  Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  42,  holds  that  the  committee 
was  sent  by  the  Sanhedrin  officially.     So  Godet,  in  loco. 

3  John  1 :  25.     Marcus  Dods,  in  loco,  seriously  supposes  that  the  depu- 
tation itself  was  strong  in  Pharisees. 

*  John  1 :  19. 

6  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  310. 

ejosephus,  "Ant.,"  xviii,  1,  4. 

» Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  ILsh,"  p.  43. 


TEMPTATION  135 

the  point  of  their  mission  with  the  rather  blunt  query  :* 
"Who  art  thou?"  "As  for  thyself— thou  that  ex- 
citest  the  people  and  stirrest  vain  hopes  [Luke  3  :  15] 
— who  art  thou?"^  John  had  met  this  temptation 
once  before,  when  it  came  to  him  from  the  people 
like  sweet  murmur  of  applause  to  the  orator.  But  it 
came  in  a  new  form,  in  a  most  flattering  form  if  he 
chose  to  regard  it  so.  Here  was  a  formal  committee 
composed  of  Sadducees  and  sent  by  Pharisees — the 
very  men  whom  he  had  formerly  denounced,  who 
now  seemed  to  imply  that  they  were  half  disposed  to 
agree  with  the  popular  notion  that  he  was  the  Messiah. 
It  was  a  wonderful  tribute  to  John's  power  and 
marked  the  very  acme  of  his  fame.  "It  may  be  re- 
garded as  being,  in  some  sense,  a  temptation  of  John 
corresponding  to  the  (simultaneous)  temptation  of 
Christ."  ^  With  many  men  this  supreme  flattery  would 
have  turned  their  heads.  But  John  never  faltered  for 
a  moment  in  his  loyalty  to  Jesus.  The  devil  by  flattery 
and  insinuation  had  sought  to  dazzle  Jesus  with  the 
vision  of  "  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  and  the  glory  of 
them."  ^  Now  this  temptation  to  glory  and  power 
not  rightly  John's  had  come  to  him  through  the  me- 
dium of  the  official  ecclesiastics,  but  ultimately  from 
the  devil  also.  If  a  breach  could  be  made  between 
John  and  Jesus,  it  would  forebode  evil  for  the  king- 
dom of  God.  Two  rival  Messiahs  would  neutralize 
each  other.  It  was  a  temptation  for  John  to  allow 
himself  to  be  considered  to  be  more  than  he  really 

»  John  1 :  20.     2v  n's  el;    The  order  in  the  Greek  is  interesting. 

» Westcott,  in  loco.  » Ibid.  *  Matt.  4 : 8. 


136  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

was,  and  in  a  matter  that  vitally  affected  the  very 
essence  of  his  mission.  If  John  had  proven  false  nere, 
he  would  have  been  false  everyw^here.  It  was  a  severe 
test  of  his  manhood,  but  he  was  ready  to  meet  it. 

"And  he  confessed,  and  denied  not;  and  he  con- 
fessed, I  am  not  the  Christ."  ^  No  formal  charge  had 
been  made  by  the  committee.  It  w^as  only  a  query, 
but  it  stung  John  to  the  quick  that  he  could  be  thought 
capable  of  claiming  to  be  the  Messiah  himself,  espe- 
cially after  his  recent  interview  with  Jesus.  The  rep- 
etition in  the  gospel  here  serves  "  to  bring  out  the  ear- 
nestness, almost  horror,  with  which  John  disclaimed 
the  ascription  to  him  of  such  an  honor."  ^  John  puts 
it  positively  and  negatively.  He  eagerly  confessed,  nor 
did  he  for  a  moment  yield  to  the  temptation  offered 
him.  His  confession,  in  short,  was  frank  and  cate- 
gorical.^ "I  am  not  the  Messiah."  *  John  evidently 
felt  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  men  who  were  will- 
ing to  give  him  a  dignity  to  which  he  was  not  entitled. 
"We  can  feel  what  the  trial  was  to  take  the  lower 
place  in  the  crisis  of  highest  popularity."  ^  But  he 
took  it  instantly  and  with  vehemence.  John  was  not 
a  fanatic^  in  any  sense.  It  is  possible  that  his  clear- 
cut  denial  brought  a  sense  of  relief  to  the  Sadducees. 
They  would  not  then  have  to  report  such  a  claim  to 
the  Pharisees  with  all  the  accompanying  embarrass- 
ment. They  had  once  cowered  before  the  boldness  of 
this  mighty  preacher.     "His  confession  had  divested 

1  John  1 :  20.  2  Marcus  Dods  on  John,  in  loco. 

'  Godet  on  John,  in  loco.     Cf.  Josephus,  "  Ant.,"  vi,  7,  4. 

*  eyw  o^*"  «iMi  o  XPKttos.  *  WestCOtt,  in  lOCO. 

e  Smith,  "In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  43. 


TEMPTATION  137 

him  of  his  terrors,  and  they  might  now  deal  with  him 
as  they  listed."  *  They  press  this  advantage  with  a 
question  somewhat  more  imperious  in  tone :  "  What 
then?  2  Art  thou  Elijah?"  What  function  do  you 
fulfil  if  not  the  Messiah?  The  committee  probably 
knew  that  John  had  claimed  to  be  the  Forerunner  of 
the  Messiah.  The  Jews  expected  Elijah  to  come  in 
person,  and  this  is  the  question  that  the  committee 
put  to  John.  They  do  not  ask  his  interpretation  of 
Mai.  4:5  ("Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the 
prophet  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord").  The  question  later  put  to  Christ^ 
about  the  coming  of  Elijah  shows  that  John  could  not 
have  answered  "yes"  without  being  grossly  misunder- 
stood. The  promise*  of  Gabriel  had  only  been  that 
he  would  come  "in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah." 
John  is  now  in  no  mood  to  parley  with  these  men, 
since  he  has  probably  noticed  their  altered  tone.  So 
he  rather  abruptly  says  :  "  I  am  not."  ^  He  will  not 
split  hairs  over  the  rabbinical  refinements.  They  can 
reconcile  what  he  now  says  with  his  claim  about  being 
the  Forerunner  at  their  leisure.  "If  people  need  to 
question  a  great  spiritual  personality,  replies  in  their 
own  language  will  often  mislead  them."  ®  The  com- 
mittee take  his  reply  to  be  a  denial  that  he  is  Elijah 
in  any  sense.  So  they  push  matters  further  while 
they  have  the  opportunity.  "Art  thou  the  prophet?" 
Moses  had  said :    "  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up 

*Ti  ovv]   John   1:21.     Here  alone  in  John,  but  common  with  Paul. 
Of.  Westcott.  "  Matt.  17  :  10-13. 

*  Luke  1 :  17.  ^  ovk  eifxi.  e  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 


138  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  like  unto 
me."  ^  Peter^  and  Stephen^  take  this  prophecy  to  re- 
fer to  the  Messiah.  But  that  was  not  the  understand- 
ing of  this  committee.  The  Jews  had  a  vague  ex- 
pectation of  some  prophet  who  would  usher  in  the 
Messianic  age,  who  was  different  from  Elijah.'*  Jere- 
miah was  also  looked  for,  while  some  expected  "one 
of  the  prophets."  ^  The  reply  of  John  is  bluntly 
monosyllabic,  "  No."  ^  His  answer  was  shorter  each 
time. 

But  the  committee  will  take  nothing  for  granted, 
now  that  the  question  is  raised.  They  repeat  their 
original  query,  "Who  art  thou?"  ^  Here  the  point  is 
the  office  rather  than  the  person  of  John  that  the  ques- 
tion turns  upon.^  They  feel  called  upon  to  apologize 
for  their  insistence  and  repetition.  The  excuse  is 
"  that  we  may  give  an  answer  to  them  that  sent  us." 
They  then  sharply  ask :  "  What  sayest  thou  of  thy- 
self ?  "  So  far  John  had  dealt  in  negatives  about  him- 
self. The  committee  call  upon  him  to  make  a  posi- 
tive pronouncement  about  himself.  There  is  a  note 
of  triumph  and  almost  of  condescension  in  this  query, 
not  to  say  a  tone  of  pity.  What  was  left  for  him  to 
claim  now  that  he  has  made  so  many  renunciations  ? 
But  they  little  understand  John.  He  is  greatest  when 
he  is  most  humble.  His  reply  puzzled  them  and 
passed  over  their  heads  :  "  I  am  the  Voice  of  one  cry- 
ing in  the  wilderness.  Make  straight  the  way  of  the 

»  Deut.  18  :  15.  2  Acts  3  :  22.  «  Acts  7  :  37. 

4  Cf.  I  Mac.  14  :  41;  John  6  :  14;  7  :  40. 

6  Matt.  16  :  14.  «  ow.  ?  Ws  el;  John  1  :  22. 

8  Westcott,  in  loco. 


TEMPTATION  139 

Lord,  as  said  Isaiah  the  prophet."  *  It  is  possible,^ 
though  not  certain,  that  John  had  used  this  language 
of  himself  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry.  But  it 
adequately  describes  his  true  mission  and  relation  to 
the  Messiah.  In  reality  John  has  thus  in  scriptural 
language  claimed  ^  to  be  the  Forerunner  of  the  Mes- 
siah which  they  had  thought  him  to  deny  concerning 
Elijah.  John  does  not  here  mention  the  element  of 
judgment  brought  out  before.  For  John  the  Messiah 
had  already  come,  and  he  did  not  now  need  the  apoca- 
lyptic imagery.^  But  the  language  of  the  Baptist  was 
too  vague  to  be  understood  by  the  committee. 

"Thou  art  to  me 
No  bird,  but  an  invisible  thing, 
A  voice,  a  mystery." 

The  Evangelist  pauses  to  explain  that  the  committee 
had  been  sent  by  the  Pharisees.  Perhaps  they  wish 
that  the  Pharisees  were  now  here  to  pursue  this  in- 
quiry further.  Indeed,  this  explanatory  remark  points 
forward  rather  than  backward. 

"  Why  then  baptizest  thou  f  " — The  committee  rallied. 
"  They  asked  him,  and  said  unto  him."  The  question 
is  probably  on  behalf  of  the  Pharisees,  who  were  so 
much  concerned  about  ceremonial  ablutions.^  The 
Sadducees  were  more  interested  in  John's  claims  con- 
cerning his  person  and  office.  The  Pharisees  had  prob- 
ably already  had  secret  resentments  against  John's 
new  rite,  which  they  probably  regarded  as  an  inno- 

1  John  1 :  23  f . ;  Isa.  40  :  3.  2  Matt.  3  :  3. 

»  Marcus  Dodds,  in  loco.  <  Westcott,  in  loco. 

'  Godet,  in  loco. 


140  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

vation  that  bordered  on  the  sacrilegious,  since  it  did 
not  have  their  sanction  nor  authorization/  "Why 
then  baptizest  thou?'*  ^  The  condition  which  follows 
enumerates  in  order  John's  three  denials  and  assumes 
that  those  points  are  now  out  of  the  way.^  The  "  then  " 
is  significant.  If  John  had  admitted  his  identity 
with  either  the  Messiah,  Elijah  or  the  prophet,  there 
would  have  been  no  surprise  expressed  at  his  intro- 
duction of  his  new  rite.  As  it  was,  by  his  own  ad- 
mission, did  not  the  Pharisees  have  a  ground  of  com- 
plaint against  him  ?  If  John  was  just  a  priest,  or  even 
a  rabbi,  of  unusual  and  undoubted  gifts  and  popularity, 
there  w^as  no  occasion  nor  authority  for  his  challenge 
of  the  life  of  the  people  and  the  institution  of  a  sym- 
bolic rite  which  called  a  nation  to  repentance  at  the 
Jordan.  "The  strictest  guardians  conceded,  indeed, 
to  the  Messiah,  or  to  one  of  his  forerunners,  the  right 
of  making  innovations  in  the  matter  of  observances."  * 
If  the  committee  expected  to  embarrass  John  with  a 
quandary,  they  were  much  mistaken.  He  has  no 
idea  of  making  an  apology  for  his  baptism.  That  he 
admits  as  a  well-known  fact.  "  I  baptize  in  water."  ^ 
It  is  so  generally  understood  that  John  has  no  further 
word  on  that  subject.  He  does  not  seize  the  oppor- 
tunity to  make  an  exposition  of  the  difference  between 
his  baptism  and  the  ceremonial  ablutions  of  the  Phari- 
sees. That  would  have  been  in  the  spirit  and  to  the 
taste  of  the  Pharisees.     All  men  knew  that  John's 

*  Ibid.  2  ^i  Q^p  /SaTTTt'fei?; 

'  €1  plus  indicative  is  a  condition  of  the  first  class  determined  as  ful- 
filled. Cf.  Robertson,  "Short  Grammar  of  the  Greek  New  Testament," 
pp.  161  f. 

*  Godet,  in  loco.  S  ^^^  /SairTifo  ev  iiSari. 


TEMPTATION  141 

baptism  was  a  "repentance-baptism/*  but  John  does 
not  say  so  here.  There  is  something  to  be  said  con- 
cerning the  reason  why  he  as  the  Forerunner  intro- 
duced baptism  because  of  its  relation  to  the  manifes- 
tation^ of  the  Messiah,  but  he  will  not  make  that  point 
to  these  men  at  this  juncture  by  way  of  apology. 
There  is  a  greater  and  a  more  needed  word  to  say. 
He  will  speak  that. 

"//I  the  midst  of  you  standeth  one  whom  ye  know 
not"  ^ — There  is  indeed  an  implied  thought  in  the 
transition  to  the  effect  that,  if  they  really  understood 
the  introductory  nature  of  his  baptism  and  its  relation 
to  the  work  of  the  Messiah,  they  would  make  no  cavil. 
But  that  is  all  by  the  way.  In  reality,  John  now 
turns  the  tables  on  this  committee  who  had  turned 
prosecutor,  so  to  speak,  of  John  and  his  baptism. 
John  now  virtually  says  that  but  for  their  ignorance 
they  would  not  have  asked  him  the  questions  already 
asked.  They  would  not  have  challenged  John  and 
his  baptism  if  they  knew  what  John  knew.  John  had 
seen  the  Messiah,  but  he  had  not  yet  made  proclama- 
tion of  that  fact.  He  feels  that  he  can  no  longer  delay 
this  great  announcement.  But  it  is  to  a  now  hostile 
audience  that  John  has  to  speak.  However,  his  lan- 
guage is  cautious  and  figurative.  They  had  wished 
to  know  about  the  Messiah.  He  has  already  come, 
and  they,  the  ecclesiastical  leaders,  do  not  know  him. 
"He  came  unto  his  own  and  they  that  were  his  own 
received  him  not."  ^    None  are  so  blind  as  those  who 


1  John  1 :  32. 

*  fieo-os  w/Awv  oT^xei  ov  v/ueif  ovk  oISotc.  '  John  1:11. 


142  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

will  not  see.  To  be  sure,  as  yet  the  Messiah  had  been 
manifested  only  to  the  Baptist,  but  his  words  are  a 
parable  and  a  prophecy  of  the  attitude  of  the  ecclesi- 
astics toward  Jesus  when  he  does  make  himself  known 
to  them.  They  will  have  none  of  him  then  as  they 
wish  none  of  John  now.  The  Unseen  Christ  has  con- 
tinued to  walk  through  the  ages  in  the  midst  of  men 
who  do  not  see  him  when  he  comes  into  the  midst  of 
them.  This  is  his  indictment  of  the  committee.  But 
he  has  a  further  word  that  bears  upon  John's  relation 
to  the  Messiah,  a  matter  also  asked  about  by  the 
committee.  "  He  that  cometh  after  me  the  latchet  of 
whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose."  This  was 
language  already  used  ^  by  John  in  the  presence  of  the 
multitudes,  and  correctly  describes  John's  own  sense 
of  inferiority  to  the  Messiah.  "Every  service  which 
a  servant  will  perform  for  his  master,  a  disciple  will 
do  for  his  rabbi,  except  loosing  his  sandal  thong."  ^ 
Thus  John  has  in  his  own  way  told  the  committee  all 
that  they  had  asked  and  more.  They  had  not  under- 
stood his  replies,  and  on  the  whole  probably  felt  more 
mystified  than  ever.  The  moment  that  they  thought 
they  understood  him  he  said  something  else  that  left 
them  at  sea.  We  are  not  told  the  effect  of  all  this  upon 
the  committee.  They  are  at  last  silent,  whatever 
their  thoughts.  Probably  deeper  questionings  had 
come  to  them  than  they  had  ever  had  before.  And 
what  can  they  say  to  the  Pharisees  ?  ^ 

1  Luke  3 :  16.     Cf.  Mark  1 :  7. 

2  Talmud.     Quoted  by  Marcus  Dods  on  John,  p.  694. 

3  Henderson  ("Palestine,"  p.  154)  thinks  that  "Bethany  equals 
Batanea  (Bashan).  So  Conder.  Then  Beth-abarah  might  thus  be  the  place 
where  John  was.     But  even  so,  Bethany  is  the  correct  text  in  John  1 :  28. 


TEMPTATION  143 

3.  The  Second  Glimpse  of  the  Messiah. — John  and 
Jesus  have  both  come  out  triumphant  from  their 
temptations,  and  they  meet  again.  On  the  next  day* 
after  the  interview  with  the  committee  from  Jerusalem, 
Jesus  comes  to  John,  probably  directly  from  his  temp- 
tation. It  is  the  first  time  that  the  Fourth  Gospel 
has  taken  a  definite  notice  of  time.  The  author  seems 
conscious  that  he  is  dealing  with  an  epoch  in  history, 
and  carefully  singles  out  these  days  as  the  days  of  the 
Passion  Week  are  described.  In  all  probability  John 
the  Evangelist  was  present  during  these  important 
days  of  crisis,  and  he  has  a  vivid  recollection  through 
all  the  years  of  the  significant  details.  Apparently  the 
embassy  from  Jerusalem  had  departed  without  fur- 
ther inquiry  concerning  the  One  who  was  standing  in 
the  midst  of  them.  If  they  had  waited  a  day,  they 
would  have  seen  the  Messiah  himself,  and  have  heard 
John's  witness  to  him.  They  may  have  been  really 
indifferent  to  John's  figurative  description  of  the 
Messiah  or  have  affected  unconcern.^  But  the  in- 
quiry from  Jerusalem  doubtless  created  fresh  interest^ 
among  John's  disciples,  and  there  was  probably  a 
buzz  of  suppressed  excitement  as  a  result  of  the 
dialogue. 

(a)  John^s  Identification  of  the  Messiah. — If  the 
Messiah  had  already  come,  where  was  he  ?  He  might 
appear  any  day  by  the  side  of  John.  It  was  only  fit- 
ting that  the  Messiah  should  receive  public  identifi- 
cation and  endorsement  from  his  Herald  and  Fore- 


•  John  1  :  29. 

2  Godet,  "John,"  p.  310.  »  Westcott,  in  loco. 


144  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

runner.*  From  every  point  of  view  it  was  natural  for 
Jesus  to  come  to  John.  The  private  recognition  al- 
ready received  would  not  suflSce  for  the  people.  We 
may  not  attribute  to  Jesus  an  artificial  plan  of  pro- 
cedure in  his  work  as  Messiah,  but  it  was  surely  wise 
for  Jesus  to  give  John  the  opportunity  of  doing  as  he 
wished  about  the  matter  of  a  public  identification. 
In  the  circle  of  John's  disciples  Jesus  would  be  more 
likely  to  find  a  sympathetic  reception.  Once  more 
John  and  Jesus  are  face  to  face.^  We  are  not  told 
that  Jesus  spoke  aught  to  John.  But  he  looked  at 
John.  "There  was  something  unearthly  in  His  look, 
and  John  gazed  at  him."  ^  The  marks  of  struggle 
and  of  victory  were  perhaps  still  on  the  face  of  Jesus 
as  he  confronted  John.  Was  John  still  satisfied  that 
he  w^as  the  Messiah  ?  I  pass  by  for  the  moment  John's 
great  word  about  the  Lamb  of  God.  That  is  in  the 
nature  of  theological  interpretation,  and  will  be  dis- 
cussed presently  in  its  logical  order.  "This  is  he," 
said  John,  "  of  whom  I  spoke."  ^  That  is  identifica- 
tion. John  looks  on  Jesus^  with  eager  gaze  and  iden- 
tifies him  in  his  presence  to  the  crowd  of  bystand- 
ers. Jesus  hears  the  words  and  they  are  gracious 
unto  his  ears.  John  adds  in  the  presence  of  Jesus 
also  that  he  is  inferior  to  the  Messiah.  He  does  not 
use  the  word  Messiah,  whether  because  of  the  political 
meaning  connected  with  that  term  in  the  minds  of  the 
Jews  we  do  not  know.     On  the  day  before  John  had 

»  Westcott,  in  loco.  '  Trpbs  airToi/. 

3  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,'-  p.  44. 

*  John   1 :  30.     uTrep  o5,   in   behalf  of  whom,  vindicating  his  glorious 
OflBce,  Westcott.  ^  p^eirei  Tov  'IrjaoOv. 


TEMPTATION  145 

said  to  the  committee  that  this  one  of  whom  he  spoke 
came  "after'*  ^  him.  He  now  repeats  that  statement. 
Jesus  was  after  him  in  order  of  time,  for  John  was  his 
messenger  (forerunner);  but  he  was  before  him  in 
dignity,  office  and  worth. ^  It  is  not  necessary  to 
think  that  John  meant  the  pre-existence  of  Jesus, 
though  that  was,  of  course,  true  also.  Marcus  Dods 
(in  loco)  considers  it  more  than  probable  that  John 
did  have  in  mind  the  pre-existence  of  the  Messiah, 
"a  thought  which  may  have  been  derived  from  the 
apocalyptic  books."  But  Jesus,  as  soon  as  he  is 
manifested,  steps  in  front  of  John  because  of  his 
essential  priority.^  The  second  "before  me"  really 
implies  absolute  priority  and  is  a  remarkable  expres- 
sion.^ It  is  a  metaphorical  line  that  John  has  in 
mind,  but  a  very  real  superiority  is  meant  by  John. 

John  seems  to  feel  that  he  must  explain  why  he  had 
not  pointed  out  the  Messiah  before.  The  explana- 
tion is  very  simple.  He  had  not  known  him  as  the 
Messiah.^  John  may  have  known  of  Jesus  through 
Zacharias  and  Elizabeth.  But  there  is  no  evidence 
that  he  had  been  thrown  with  him.  What  John  here 
means  is  that  till  he  met  Jesus  at  his  baptism,  he  did 
not  know  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  and  may  not  have 
had  any  personal  relations  or  acquaintanceship  with 
him.  He  had  foretold  the  Messiah  in  general  terms. 
He  had  stated  that  he  was  near  at  hand.®     On  yester- 

1  John  1 :  26.     onCa-ta  nov.    John  is  ahead  in  time. 

2  Of.  John  1 :  15.     Here  also  we  have  efinpoa^ev  /xovand  wpwrds  fiov. 

3  Westcott  on  John  1 :  15. 

*  jrpwTos  (lov  (ablative  of  comparison  with  superlative).     Of.  Westcott. 

'  ovK  rjBeiv  avrov.      John  1  :  31. 

6  Matt.  3 :  10. 


146  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

day  he  had  said  that  he  had  come.^  He  does  not  feel 
called  upon  to  explain  why  he  had  remained  silent  for 
a  month  after  he  had  met  and  baptized  Jesus.  In 
reality  no  explanation  was  needed,  as  the  time  had 
not  been  long.  He  may  have  waited  for  the  return  of 
Jesus.  But  he  does  say^  that  the  public  aspect  of  his 
work  of  baptizing  had  to  do  with  the  manifestation  of 
the  Messiah  to  Israel.  He  will  presently  explain  that 
he  had  seen  the  proof  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  at 
his  baptism.  It  was,  in  truth,  through  John's  work 
as  the  baptizer  that  he  had  discovered  the  Messiah 
whom  he  now  proclaimed  and  pointed  out.  It  was 
the  divine  ordaining  that  had  made  it  so.  His  pro- 
phetic presentiment^  at  the  first  sight  of  Jesus  was 
confirmed  by  the  sign  of  the  Messiah.  This  was 
another  great  hour"*  in  John's  life  when  he  was  able 
to  point  to  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  On  yesterday  he 
had  said  :  "  He  is  there."  To-day  he  says  :  "  There 
he  is."  ^  He  had  done  his  duty  as  he  met  it  from  day 
to  day  in  the  unfolding  providence  of  God.  His  own 
ministry,  like  that  of  Jesus,^  had  revealed  thoughts 
out  of  many  hearts.  The  deepening  of  the  sense  of  sin 
on  the  part  of  the  people  made  it  easier  for  them  to 
grasp  the  truth  about  Christ's  atoning  and  redeem- 
ing work,  while  the  confessions  of  the  masses  were 
rounded  out  by  the  self-surrender  of  Jesus.*^  But 
John  seems  to  be  deeply  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he 
had  not  fully  portrayed  the  riches  of  the  Messiah. 
The  half  had  not  been  told.     The  reality  had  gone 

1  John  1  :  26.  2  John  1  :  31  f.  »  Meyer  on  John,  in  loco. 

«  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  44. 

6  Godet,  in  loco.  «  Luke  2  :  35.  '  Westcott,  in  loco. 


TEMPTATION  147 

far  beyond  what  he  had  foreseen.  "The  gift  which 
John  possessed,  of  seeing  over  and  beyond  his  own 
work,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable,  and  can  only  be 
found  where  there  exist  a  rare  self-knowledge  and  a 
rare  humility."  ^  John  was  able  to  understand  his 
own  relation  to  the  world,  a  thing  that  few  men  can 
do.  He  had  a  sensitive  soul  that  responded  to  the 
best  and  highest  in  men.  He  understood  Jesus,  a 
thing  that  few  men  of  Christ's  time  did.  It  was 
glory  enough^  to  have  baptized  Jesus.  Then  he  had 
been  permitted  to  point  him  out. 

(b)  John's  Interpretation  of  Jesus. — I  have  reversed 
the  order  of  John's  words  on  purpose.  In  order  of 
time  his  interpretation  comes  first,  and  then  his  identi- 
fication. But  it  was  all  over  in  a  moment.  It  suits 
my  purpose  better  here  to  follow  the  identification  by 
the  interpretation.  But  what  John  did  was  dramatic 
enough.  "When  he  came  suddenly  again  into  the 
circle  where  the  Baptist  was  standing,  the  first  look 
at  him  sent  through  the  Forerunner's  soul  a  revealing 
shock;  whereupon,  with  out-stretched  finger  pointed 
at  him,  he  cried  :  '  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world ! '" ^  The  words  are 
exclamatory"*  and  are  not  addressed  to  Jesus.  Critics 
like  Strauss  and  Holtzmann  reject  these  words  as 
those  of  the  Baptist,  on  the  ground  that  this  sacrificial 
view  of  the  death  of  Jesus  could  not  have  been  held 
till  after  Jesus  had  died,  and  that  John,  or  the  child  of 
his  age,  could  not  have  grasped  such  a  theological 

»  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  227.  2  John  1 :  32. 

8  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  229. 
*  ISe  6  afivoi  ToO  iJeoO. 


148  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

conception,  since  John's  eye  "  never  ranged  beyond  a 
Jewish  horizon."  ^  It  is  an  easy  way  to  settle  diflB- 
culties  by  "  could  "  and  "  could  not."  The  Old  Testa- 
ment was  open  to  John.  He  had  spoken  the  day 
before  of  Isaiah.^  Since  the  baptism  of  Jesus,  John 
would  naturally  make  a  fresh  investigation  of  the  Old 
Testament  passages  concerning  the  Messiah.  The 
fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah  was  open  to  him.  The 
older  rabbis,  "before  the  polemic  against  the  Chris- 
tians had  driven  the  Jewish  interpreters  to  another 
explanation,"  ^  did  not  hesitate  to  apply  this  passage 
to  the  Messiah.  "  But  he  was  wounded  for  our  trans- 
gressions, he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities;  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him;  and  with 
his  stripes  we  are  healed.  ...  As  a  lamb  that  is  led 
to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  that  before  its  shearers 
is  dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his  mouth  .  .  .  because 
he  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death,  and  was  numbered 
with  the  trangressors  :  yet  he  bare  the  sin  of  many, 
and  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors."^  The 
mention  of  Isaiah  and  John's  announcement  on  the 
day  before  that  the  Messiah  had  at  last  come  may 
well  have  started  talk  between  John  and  his  disciples 
about  the  prerogatives  and  general  scope  of  the 
Messiah.^  It  is  possible  that  John  and  Jesus  may 
have  had  converse  about  the  real  nature  of  his  work, 
before  they  parted  at  the  baptism  and  after  the  vision 
and  the  Voice.®    But  it  is  enough  that  one  with  John's 

'  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco.  *  John  1 :  24. 

»  Godet,  in  loco.  *  Isa.  63 :  6,  7,  12. 

'  Westcott,  in  loco. 
•Marcus  Dods.  in  loco. 


TEMPTATION  149 

keen  and  penetrating  insight  had  faced  long  and 
earnestly  the  problem  of  the  Messiah. 

Some  of  the  critics  are  hard  to  satisfy  about  John. 
They  find  fault  with  him  because  he  was  narrow  and 
Jewish  in  his  conceptions  of  a  Messiah  who  would 
bring  only  judgment  and  wrath.  Then,  when  pas- 
sages like  this  are  met  which  do  reveal  a  knowledge 
of  the  spiritual  and  redemptive  work  of  the  Messiah, 
they  are  promptly  rejected  just  because  they  do  not 
give  the  deeper  insight  into  the  Messiah's  mission. 
Simeon  is  credited  with  prophetic  insight  into  the 
sufferings  of  Jesus.*  If  he  had  that  gift,  why  not  John 
the  Forerunner?  Who  more  than  he  was  likely  to 
gain  real  knowledge  of  the  true  nature  of  the  Mes- 
siah's work?  The  fact  that  scales  covered  the  eyes 
of  the  disciples^  on  this  very  point  proves  nothing  for 
certain  concerning  John,  one  of  the  rare  spiritual  souls 
of  the  ages.  John  himself  will  later  have  a  time  of 
gloom,  but  that  fact  does  not  disprove  his  present 
grasp  of  the  truth.  His  specific  mission  was  to  "bear 
witness  of  the  light."  ^  Jesus  will  say  to  the  Jerusalem 
authorities  :  "  Ye  have  sent  unto  John,  and  he  hath 
borne  witness  unto  the  truth."  ^  John  had  knowledge 
of  the  truth  that  is  in  Christ  not  possessed  by  the  men 
of  his  day.  Else  he  had  no  power  to  rise  above  his 
time  and  teach  it.  It  is  puerile  to  try  to  put  every 
genius  that  arises  back  into  the  leading-strings  of  his 
time.  John  shook  off  the  dust  of  rabbinism  and 
blazed  as  a  bright  and  shining  lamp. 

It  is  possible  that  by  the  term  "  Lamb  of  God " 

»  Luke  2 :  25  ff.        «  Matt.  16 :  21  ff.        » John  1:8.        *  John  5 :  33. 


150  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  (cf.  Isaiah)  recognized  the  meekness  and  gentle- 
ness of  the  Messiah  and  the  peril  of  Jesus  as  he  came 
into  inevitable  conflict  with  the  generation  of  vipers.* 
But  certainly  this  was  not  all.  John  was  of  a  priestly 
family,  and  it  was  natural  for  him  to  think  of  the 
lamb  as  sacrifice,  in  particular,  the  paschal  lamb. 
We  do  not  know  how  clearly  the  language  of  John  was 
apprehended  by  the  people  who  heard  it.^  But  a 
man's  knowledge  of  his  words  is  not  always  to  be 
determined  by  the  ignorance  of  his  audience.  In 
Isa.  53  the  idea  of  patient  endurance  and  vicarious 
sacrifice  both  occur.  Both  may  have  been  in  the 
mind  of  John  on  this  occasion.  But  certainly  he  had 
that  of  sacrifice,  for  he  says,  "  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world."  ^  It  is  sin  (singular,  not  plural), 
"regarded  in  its  unity  as  the  common  corruption  of 
humanity,"  *  that  John  has  in  mind.  It  is  the  pro- 
phetic, not  the  legal,  conception  of  Christ's  work,  and 
John  vividly  describes  it  as  present.^  It  is  the  world- 
conception  of  Christ's  work  also.  John's  horizon  is 
here  that  of  the  whole  world  in  sin  that  needed  a 
savior.  The  Jewish  Messiah  is  the  world's  Re- 
deemer. The  boldness  and  originality  of  this  inter- 
pretation of  Jesus  argue  for  the  genuineness  of  this 
testimony.  John  the  Apostle  heard  John  the  Baptist, 
whose  disciple  he  then  was,  say  these  wonderful 
words.  They  made  such  a  deep  mark  upon  his 
mind  that  he  never  forgot  them.  John  the  Baptist 
has  grown  mightily  in  these  few  weeks  in  his  appre- 

»  stalker,  "  The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  229.  '  Godet,  in  loco. 

^  6  alpcov  TTjv  afx-apriav  ToO  KoafJiOV. 

4  Westcott,  in  loco.  ^  Meyer,  in  loco. 


TEMPTATION  151 

hension  of  the  Messiah,  He  has  had  great  experi- 
ences. His  mind  was  keenly  alert  to  seize  every  new 
item  about  the  Messiah.  That  was  John's  passion, 
the  Messiah.  He  has  come  out  upon  the  high  plane 
of  the  world  vision  of  the  Messiah's  mission.  But 
there  is  a  higher  plane  yet  and  he  will  come  to  that. 

(c)  John's  New  Testimony:  ^^This  is  the  Son  of 
God." — He  speaks  from  experience.  "I  have  beheld 
the  Spirit  descending  as  a  dove  out  of  heaven;  and  it 
abode  upon  him."  ^  He  can  never  get  away  from 
that  experience.  It  was  the  fulfilment  of  the  sign 
that  God,  who  sent  him  to  baptize,  had  given  him. 
"The  same  is  he  that  baptizeth  in  the  Holy  Spirit."  ^ 
John  had,  as  they  recalled,  spoken  of  this  as  the  differ- 
ence^ between  the  Messiah  and  himself.  He  cannot 
doubt  that  day  in  the  river  when  the  heavens  opened 
and  the  Spirit  as  a  dove  came  and  rested  upon  Jesus. 
John  here  assumes  the  baptism  of  Jesus  as  well 
known  by  his  disciples.  Probably,  since  his  mention 
on  yesterday  of  the  presence  of  the  Messiah,  he  had 
told  them  the  details  of  that  great  event.^  He  sees 
no  reason  for  rehearsing  the  story  here,  but  assumes 
it  as  known,  and  appeals  to  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  at  that  time  as  proof  of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus. 
John  has  a  holy  confidence  that  is  past  all  specula- 
tion and  theorizing.     "And  I  have  seen,"^  he  says. 


1  John  1 :  32.     Tet^ea/aai.     He  Still  sees  that  picture  (perfect  tense). 

2  John  1:33.  s  Matt.  3:11. 

4  Meyer,  in  loco.  Cf.  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  337. 
Keim  has  shown  that  John's  preaching  was  steeped  in  the  language  of 
Isaiah.  Edersheim  laments  that  Keim  did  not  understand  Jesus  as  well 
as  he  did  John. 

6  Kayiii  iupaKa.     John  1 :  34.     The  vision  is  with  him  yet. 


152  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

He  is  glad  to  repeat  that  point  for  emphasis.  But  that 
is  not  all :  "  and  have  borne  witness  that  this  is  the  Son 
of  God."  ^  We  have  no  record  of  a  previous  testimony 
from  John  to  this  effect.  It  was  true  by  implication,  to 
be  sure,  from  what  John  had  already  said  about  Jesus 
as  the  Lamb  of  God.  It  is  but  a  step  further.  God's 
Lamb  is  God's  Son.  It  is,  perhaps,  in  this  climacteric^ 
sense  of  the  perfect  tense  that  he  uses  the  word,  "  I 
have  borne  witness."  He  has  come  to  the  place  where 
he  can  say  it  and  stand  by  it :  This  man  Jesus  here  be- 
fore you  is  the  Son  of  God.  The  Old  Testament^  called 
the  Messiah  the  Son  of  God.  The  term  in  the  Old 
Testament  does  not  always  have  its  highest  meaning. 
It  is  used  even  of  kings. ^  In  one  sense  all  men  are 
sons  of  God.  But  John  means  only  the  highest  con- 
tent of  the  phrase.^  It  is  idle  to  cavil  that  this  is  a 
height  to  which  even  John  could  not  climb.  John 
had  heard  the  Father's  voice  at  the  baptism  expressly 
call  Jesus  "  my  beloved  Son."  ®  He  evidently  has  that 
fact  in  mind.  He  had  pondered  deeply  on  the  signifi- 
cance of  that  voice.  Now  he  interprets  that  message 
to  the  people  without  express  mention  of  the  miracle 
as  he  had  done  concerning  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Thus  John  has  shown  in  his  bold  stand  vivid 
recollection  of  the  two  great  miracles  at  the  baptism 
of  Jesus.  John  has  accomplished  his  work.  He  has 
predicted,  baptized,  borne  witness  to  the  Messiah.  He 
has  pointed  out  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  to  the  men  of  his 

*  /cat  fienaprvprfKa  on  oCto?  earip  o  vcb?  tov  ^eov. 

2  Linear  plus  punctiliar  action  in  the  perfect. 

3  Of.  Ps.  2  :  7,  12;  Dan.  3  :  25.  *  Cf.  Ps.  82  :  6. 
6  Note  the  two  articles  6  wibs  tow  iJeoC.  *  Matt.  3 :  17. 


TEMPTATION  153 

generation.  His  work  is  over.  He  stands  upon  the 
top  of  the  mountain.  To  go  on  he  must  go  down  the 
other  side.  He  will  go  on,  go  with  a  glad  heart.  The 
Messiah  has  come  and  it  has  been  John's  glory  to  have 
seen  his  coming  from  afar,  to  have  gone  forth  to  greet 
him,  to  welcome  him  to  his  great  work,  to  make  his 
path  somewhat  easier.  He  has  made  ready  the  way 
for  the  King.  Now  the  King  has  come.  There  is 
naught  for  him  to  do  but  to  step  aside  and  let  the  King 
have  the  highway.  He  will  not  sulk.  He  will  help  on 
the  work  as  he  may.  But  no  more  will  he  call  men  to 
himself.  He  will  tell  men  to  go  to  Jesus.  Will  they 
go  ?  Are  they  ready  now  that  the  Messiah  has  actually 
appeared?  That  question  time  alone  can  answer. 
Will  John  live  long  enough  to  see  the  glory  of  the 
Messianic  days? 

4.  The  Last  Sight  of  Jesus.— There  is  an  element 
of  pathos  in  the  fact  that  John,  whose  life  centred  in 
that  of  the  Messiah,  saw  Jesus  only  three  times.  But 
they  were  rich  and  gracious  days  and  his  soul  fed  on 
the  memory  of  them. 

(a)  John  Standing  and  Looking  at  Jesus. — The  day 
before  had  been  a  great  day  for  all.  The  hearts  of 
many  were  now  full  of  "holy  impressions,  great 
thoughts,  and  unutterable  expectation."  ^  On  this, 
the  following  day,  there  was  the  atmosphere  of  silent 
waiting.  John  stood  ^  with  "two  of  his  disciples," 
probably  in  conversation  about  the  great  events  of 
these  days.     They  were  the  days  long  looked  for  by 

1  Godet,  in  loco. 

2  iar^Kei.    John  1 :  35.    Past  perfect,  but  used  as  imperfect. 


154  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

the  Jewish  people.  Prophets  had  sought  out  and 
searched  out^  this  time,  but  they  could  not  find  the 
day.  At  last  it  had  come.  One  of  these  disciples  of 
the  Baptist  was  Andrew,  as  we  are  told.^  The  other 
was  almost  certainly  John  the  Apostle  and  the  writer 
of  this  narrative.  John  the  Baptist  soon  catches  sight 
of  Jesus  again  and  is  filled  with  rapture  at  the  sight. 
"  He  looked  upon  Jesus  as  he  walked."  ^  It  is  a 
beautiful  spectacle  to  us,  that  of  John  entranced  with 
the  vision  of  Jesus.  But  it  was  more  beautiful  to  John 
than  we  can  imagine.  His  heart  went  out  into  that 
look.  He  feasted  his  soul  upon  Jesus,  who  was  to  him 
the  one  altogether  lovely.  The  word  for  " looking"  in 
the  Greek  means  a  penetrating  glance.*  It  is  the  look 
of  the  mystic,  for  John  was  a  true  mystic.  Jesus  is 
not  this  time  coming  toward  John.  We  do  not  know 
that  Jesus  saw  John  on  this  occasion.  But  John  sees 
Jesus,  and  that  is  enough  for  him.  He  may  not  know 
that  this  will  be  his  last  glimpse  of  the  Messiah.  But 
he  will  drink  in  the  glory  of  this  vision- 

(b)  John  Repeats  His  Interpretation, — He  merely 
says  this  time :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God."  ^  It  is 
not  that  John  has  changed  his  mind  since  yesterday 
about  the  redemptive  work  of  the  Messiah.  But  it  is 
simply  not  necessary  to  give  the  whole  description, 
since  these  frequent  words  will  call  up  the  testimony 
already  given. ^  John  stands  by  his  interpretation  of 
Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  with  all  that  the  term 
justly  signifies.    Perhaps  his  remark  the  day  before  had 

1  e^e^rjTTjo-ai/'  Kal  €$epavvTi<Tav.     1  Peter  1:10.  2  John  1 :  40. 

2  John  1  :  36.      e/u./3Ae'i/>as  T<j>  'Irjcrow  TreptiraToCi'Ti. 

<  Westcott,  in  loco.  b  John  1 :  36.  «  Westcott,  in  loco. 


TEMPTATION  155 

provoked  discussion.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  Bap- 
tist that  he  was  the  first  man  to  rise  to  the  height  of 
calling  Jesus  the  Son  of  God.  He  had  penetrated  the 
mystical  nature  of  the  Messiah  that  far.  "He  was 
dazzled  with  the  mystery  of  this  new  life."  ^  It  was 
not  the  Oriental  pantheism  that  John  had  in  mind. 
He  would  not  have  applied  these  words  to  himself. 
"In  no  loose  or  indefinite  sense  did  he  persist  in  the 
conviction  "  ^  that  Jesus  was  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  Son 
of  God.  This  second  witness  of  John  is  crisp  and 
pointed.  Apparently  it  did  not  attract  the  attention 
of  Jesus.  It  has  been  suggested  that  Jesus  wished 
to  avoid  the  appearance  of  a  private  understanding 
with  the  Baptist.^  But  John  has  now  twice  publicly 
pointed  out  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  whose  coming  he  had 
proclaimed.  That  is  all  that  he  can  do.  Jesus  will 
go  his  way  and  John  will  go  his.  Many  a  preacher 
has  had  the  joy  of  discovering  a  young  man  who  can 
really  preach.  But  John  has  laid  his  hand  upon  the 
Hope  of  Israel. 

(c)  The  First  Fruits  of  John^s  Testimony. — Ap- 
parently Jesus  had  been  walking  alone.  As  yet  he 
had  no  following.  No  one  but  John  had  avowed 
faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  Jesus  had  come  from 
the  fierce  conflict  with  the  Tempter  into  the  warm, 
sympathetic  atmosphere  of  the  Baptist's  presence.  On 
yesterday  the  heart  of  Jesus  had  been  made  glad  by 
strong,  clear  witness  of  John.  But  no  one  had  come 
out  in  open  allegiance  to  Jesus.     When  would  a  be- 

*  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  360. 
2  Ibid.,  p.  362. 
'  Meyer,  in  loco. 


156  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

ginning  be  made  and  where?  Who  will  be  the  first 
to  own  Jesus  as  the  Messiah? 

The  two  disciples  of  John  had  listened  with  eager 
attention  to  the  renewed  testimony  of  their  master  to 
Jesus.  There  is  power  in  repetition.  John  did  not 
say  that  they  should  leave  him  to  follow  Jesus,  but  the 
repetition  of  his  witness  might  bear  that  interpreta- 
tion. The  earnest  look  of  John  also  added  emphasis 
to  his  words.  They  recalled  what  John  had  said 
about  his  own  inferiority  to  the  Messiah,  "  the  latchet 
of  whose  shoes  he  was  not  worthy  to  stoop  down  and 
unloose."  They  had  loved  John  and  his  teaching. 
But  he  himself  had  brought  them  up  to  this  point  and 
now  practically  suggested  that  they  go  to  the  New 
Teacher,  who  could  teach  them  what  John  could  not. 
They  were  to  pass  up  to  a  higher  school,  to  become 
the  first  pupils  in  that  school  of  Christ  which  has  been 
growing  in  numbers  and  power  ever  since.  The  mo- 
ment of  decision  has  come.  They  look  at  John  again 
and  they  left  him  and  "  followed  Jesus."  ^  They 
made  their  choice  once  for  all.  "The  circumstance 
has  a  significance  for  all  time.  Christ's  first  disciples 
were  made  by  the  practical  interpretation  of  a  phrase 
which  might  have  been  disregarded."  ^  They  were 
not  driven  from  John,  but  were  drawn  to  Jesus.  It 
was  the  positive  attraction  of  this  magnet  of  the  ages 
who  was  "  set  for  the  falling  and  the  rising  up  of  many 
in  Israel."  ^ 

It  was  as  it  should  be.     The  first  disciples  of  Jesus 

•  riKo\ov^y)a-av  t«  'lii<roS.  John  1 :  37.  The  aorist  (punctiliar)  tense 
marks  the  crisis. 

2  Westcott,  in  loco.  '  Luke  2  :  34. 


TEMPTATION  157 

came  from  the  circle  of  John's  followers.  That  of  it- 
self was  a  comfort  to  the  Baptist.  He  had  not  labored 
in  vain.  He  had  come  to  make  ready  the  way  of  the 
Messiah.  The  soil  was  ready  in  places,  at  any  rate. 
The  seed  sown  had  now  sprung  up  and  had  borne 
some  fruit.  There  were  doubtless  many  more  who 
would  follow  the  example  of  these  two.  "  One  soweth 
and  another  reapeth,"  ^  Jesus  will  himself  joyfully  say 
one  day  when  he  has  seen  a  Samaritan  woman  saved. 
It  was  a  proverb,  and  it  was  true  of  John  and  Jesus. 
It  was  with  tender  thoughts  and  a  moved  heart  that 
John  watched  Andrew  and  John,  who  was  to  become 
the  Beloved  Disciple  of  Jesus,  walk  away  from  him. 
The  last  sight  that  John  had  of  Jesus  was  in  the  nature 
of  the  triumph  of  Jesus.  But  there  was  no  sting  of 
regret  in  John.  He  had  a  holy  satisfaction  in  seeing 
the  two  men  leave  him  for  what  was  better.  They 
had  only  taken  him  at  his  word.  John  will  go  on 
preparing  more  soil  for  Jesus,  sowing  more  seed  for 
the  kingdom.  John  has  done  his  work  well  at  Beth- 
any, beyond  Jordan.  Some  two  or  three  years  after- 
ward Jesus  will  be  here  again.  The  people  will  recall 
John's  witness  and  say  :  "  All  things  whatsoever  John 
spake  of  this  man  were  true."  ^ 

"Jesus  turned"  ^  rather  suddenly,  for  he  had  heard 
their  steps.  Evidently  Jesus  had  been  walking  past 
or  away  from  the  Baptist.  He  "  beheld  these  follow- 
ing" ''  him.  He  probably  stops  and  says  somewhat 
abruptly,  "What  seek  ye?"     Jesus  assumes  that  they 

1  John  4  :  37.  *  John  10  :  40-42. 

» <TTpa<t>eii.     John  1 :  38,     Second  aorist  passive  participle. 
i  ^eatriiievoi  avTovs  oKoAoviJouvTas. 


158  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

wish  to  see  him.  The  point  is,  Why  do  you  wish  to 
see  me  ?  In  reply  they  say  that  they  wish  to  go  to  his 
present  abode  in  Bethany  and  have  an  opportunity 
for  private  converse/  The  matter  is  too  grave  for 
brief  conversation  by  the  way.  They  call  Jesus 
"Rabbi"  or  "Master"  (Teacher),^  as  was  customary 
with  teachers.  The  title  does  not  mean  that  they 
have  already  become  disciples  of  Jesus,  but  that  they 
are  willing  to  talk  with  him  about  the  matter  of  his 
Messiahship.  They  are  willing  to  learn  from  him. 
Jesus  is  gracious  to  them.  "  Come  and  ye  shall  see."  ^ 
The  comment  of  the  Evangelist  is  laconic  in  its  pith 
and  brevity.  "They  came  therefore  and  saw  where 
he  abode."  Yes,  "  and  they  abode  with  him  that  day,"  '* 
all  through  that  day.  It  was  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing.^ John  the  Apostle  remembers  all  through  the 
years  when  he  and  Andrew  spent  that  first  of  the 
many  glorious  days  with  Jesus.  There  is  nothing 
further  told  of  the  conversation  with  Jesus  during  that 
day.  Perhaps  it  was  too  sacred  for  other  ears.  But 
actions  speak  louder  than  words.  "He  findeth  first 
his  own  brother  Simon,  and  saith  unto  him,  We  have 
found  the  Messiah."  ^  The  leaven  of  the  kingdom 
was  at  work  in  Andrew,  and  apparently  also  in  John 
the  Evangelist.  The  best  proof  that  one  is  a  disciple 
of  Jesus  is  just  this,  the  effort  to  win  others.  We  may 
not  follow  this  story  further.     The  heart  of  Jesus  is 

1  WeStCOtt,  in  loco.  2  'pa/S/aet,  Aifiao-KaAe. 

s  'Epxeo-t^e  Koi  oxf/ea^e.     John  1  :  39. 

*  Koi  irap'avrtZ  efiei-vav  ttjv  efceiVrjv  rifjiepav. 

6  Roman  tinie,  as  always  in  this  gospel. 

6  John  1 :  41.     Evpij/ca/xev  rov  Meaaiav.     He  has  made  the  greatest  dis- 
covery of  the  ages.     He  can  say  "Eureka." 


TEMPTATION  159 

more  than  full  of  gratitude  and  hope.  The  beginning 
has  been  made.  But  where  is  John  the  Baptist? 
What  thoughts  are  in  his  heart  as  he  went  on  his  way, 
an  increasingly  lonely  way,  down  the  hill  whose  sum- 
mit he  has  now  passed? 


CHAPTER  VII 

JOY 

"  But  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom,  which  standeth  and 
heareth  him,  rejoiceth  greatly  because  of  the  bride- 
groom's voice"  (John  3  :  29). 

1.  John  Still  at  Work. — There  was  nothing  for  John 
to  do  but  to  work.  He  was  no  shirker.  He  could 
help  on  the  work  of  Jesus  best  by  preaching  and  bap- 
tizing, not  by  quitting  as  in  a  sulk.  He  could  tell  of 
the  Messiah  with  new  power  now.  While  John  had 
been  and  was  the  Forerunner  of  the  Messiah,  he  had 
no  disposition  to  make  suggestions  to  Jesus  as  to  how 
to  manage  his  affairs.  He  wished  to  give  Jesus  a  free 
hand  to  work  out  his  own  destiny  in  his  own  way. 
The  difference  between  the  two  men  will  soon  be  evi- 
dent to  all.  They  both  leave  Bethany,  beyond  Jordan, 
which  "  was  no  longer  thronged  by  an  eager  multitude 
hanging  on  the  prophet's  lips."  ^  John,  indeed,  may 
have  been  forced  to  leave  because  the  rulers  had 
declared  against  him.^  Perhaps  the  committee  had 
made  their  report  to  the  Pharisees,  who  were  soon  to 
take  note  also  of  the  work  of  Jesus  in  relation  to  that 
of  John.^  John's  disclaimers  about  himself  made  it 
easier  for  the  ecclesiastics  to  assume  the  aggressive 

»  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  69. 

2  IMd.  '  John  4 :  1  ff. 

160 


JOY  161 

against  him.  So  John  went  on  further  north  on  the 
western  side  of  the  river.  It  is  not  clear  where  "  iEnon 
near  to  Salim"  was.  Henderson*  identifies  it  with 
Shalem  of  Gen.  33  :  18,  some  seven  miles  south  of 
'Ainiin  Springs  at  the  head  of  the  Wady  Far'ah  in 
the  northern  part  of  Samaria.  If  so,  he  was  near 
Galilee  in  case  the  rulers  in  Jerusalem  became  ag- 
gressive again.  "Many  waters"  ^  were  there,  so  that 
"even  in  summer  baptism  by  immersion  could  be 
continued."  ^  The  people  still  came  in  great  numbers 
to  John  and  were  baptized  as  before.*  As  yet  there 
was  no  sign  of  loss  of  prestige  or  power  on  the  part 
of  the  Baptist  save  the  open  hostility  of  the  ecclesi- 
astics. 

When  Jesus  left  Bethany  with  the  half-dozen  fol- 
lowers, he  went  to  Cana  of  Galilee  to  a  wedding-feast. 
At  once  it  was  manifest  that  Jesus  was  no  ascetic; 
that  he  was  not  going  to  remain  in  the  wilderness  as 
John  did;  that  he  was  going  into  the  homes  of  the 
people;  that  he  would  seek  men  and  not  wait  for  men 
to  come  to  him;  that  he  would  not  hold  himself  from 
the  life  of  men;  that  he  would  the  rather  enter  into 
full  sympathy  with  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  men.^ 
News  of  this  festival  at  Cana  probably  came  to  John 
and  would  at  once  set  him  to  thinking.  Was  he  will- 
ing to  take  the  Messiah  as  he  revealed  himself  in  his 
actual  life  ?  The  incidents  in  Jerusalem  at  the  first 
Passover*   of   Christ's   ministry  may  have   come   to 

»  "Palestine,"  p.  154.  2  asara  noWd.  '  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 

*  irapeyLvovTo  Koi  e/3a7rTi^oi/To.    Imperfect  (repetitive,  iterative  and  de- 
scriptive). 

'  Cf .  Reynolds,  "  John  the  Baptist,"  p.  387. 
«  John  2  :  23-3  :  21. 


162  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John's  notice  also.  The  breach  between  Jesus  and 
the  rulers  in  Jerusalem  now  placed  both  John  and 
Jesus  in^the  attitude  of  men  whose  teachings  had  been 
disapproved  by  the  ecclesiastical  leaders  of  the  nation. 
John  had  been  rejected  as  the  Forerunner,  Jesus  as 
the  Messiah.  They  would  have  none  of  either.  Jesus 
is  compelled,  therefore,  to  go  on  with  the  work  of  pro- 
phetic preparation  in  much  the  same  manner  as  John 
was  doing,  "  in  some  sort.  His  own  forerunner."  ^  So 
he  left  Jerusalem  for  the  land  of  Judea  with  his  little 
band  of  six  disciples,  and  preached  while  they  bap- 
tized.^ The  place  was  probably  down  near  the  Jordan, 
where  John  had  once  preached  and  baptized.  Here 
Jesus  "tarried"  some  time,  possibly  some  months. 
The  same  regions  where  John  had  once  done  such  a 
mighty  work  are  now  the  scene  of  the  work  of  Jesus. 
He  is  again  reaping  where  John  has  sown.  Jesus  in 
a  real  sense,  therefore,  takes  up  his  work  where  John 
has  left  off.  The  work  of  Jesus  and  John  went  on 
fari  passu. 

"For  John  was  not  yet  cast  into  prison."^  This 
explanatory  note  is  made  in  the  narrative  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel  for  two  reasons.  He  soon  was  cast  into  prison 
when  his  active  ministry  ceased.  This  phase  of  John's 
ministry  is  not  told  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  though 
they  do  mention  the  arrest  of  John.^  There  is  nothing 
in  the  account  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  to  call  for  the  ex- 
planation. He  seems  to  have  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
in  mind.     He  states  what  he  does,  not  to  correct  the 


1  Godet,  in  loco.  «  John  3  :  22  ff . ;  4  :  3.  »  John  3  :  24. 

«  Of.  Luke  3  :  19  f.:   Matt.  4  :  12;   Mark  1 :  14. 


JOY  163 

Synoptic  Gospels,  but  to  explain  that  the  events  re- 
corded by  him  here  come  before  that  event  took  place. 
John  alone  records  the  early  ministry  of  Jesus.  He 
here  dates  it,  or,  as  it  were,  relates  it  to  the  closing 
part  of  John*s  ministry.  How  long  John  labored 
before  he  was  cast  into  prison  we  do  not  know.  He 
may  have  continued  a  year  after  the  baptism  of  Jesus 
before  he  was  arrested,  but  certainly  not  more  than 
that.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  of  John  and  Jesus  at 
work  near  each  other,  pushing  on  the  work  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  midst  of  tremendous  difficul- 
ties. The  religious  atmosphere  of  Judea  was  cold 
and  formal,  unresponsive  to  the  highest  spiritual  ap- 
peals. Jesus  was  finding,  what  John  had  learned  by 
bitter  experience,  that  he  had  to  do  his  work  in  spite 
of  the  religious  leaders  of  the  nation.  In  fact,  they 
were  now  the  chief  enemies  of  John  and  Jesus.  The 
two  teachers  differed  greatly  in  life  and  manner,  but 
they  both  agreed  in  putting  the  chief  accent  on  the 
inner  life  of  the  heart  and  on  practical,  not  ceremonial, 
righteousness.  In  that  matter  they  both  incurred  the 
active  enmity  of  the  Jerusalem  ecclesiastics. 

2.  The  Discussion  on  the  Significance  of  Baptism. 
— At  first  it  may  seem  strange  that  Jesus  should  have 
allowed  his  disciples  to  baptize  so  close  to  John.  In 
a  sense  the  discussion  about  baptism  arose  because  of 
this  apparent  competition  between  John  and  Jesus. ^ 
The  disciples  of  John  start  the  question^  with  the  Jew.^ 
It  is  possible  that  they  had  challenged  the  Jew  for 

1  Godet,  in  loco. 

2  ^r/TTjtri?.     Cf.  Acts  15  :  2;   I  Tim.  6:4;   II  Tim.  2  :  23;   Titus  3  :  9. 
'Correct  text,  not  "Jews." 


164  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

seeking  baptism  at  the  hands  of  Jesus.*  The  Jew 
may  have  ascribed  greater  efficacy  to  the  baptism  of 
Jesus.^  It  is  more  than  probable  that  Jesus,  when 
his  disciples  administered  baptism,  explained  how  it 
symbolized  the  new  birth  which  they  had  experienced, 
the  death  to  sin,  the  new  life  on  which  they  had  entered.^ 
So,  then,  if  this  Jew  was  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  the  disciples 
of  John,  being  jealous  for  their  master,  spoke  in  his  de- 
fence. This  was  the  first^  sacramental  dispute,  but  by 
no  means  the  last.  The  term  "  Jew,"  however,  leads 
some  to  suppose  that  he  was  a  Pharisee  and  hostile  to 
both  John  and  Jesus.^  This  is  quite  possible  in  itself. 
But  if  the  controversy  began  from  some  remark  by 
this  Jewish  caviller  about  the  difference  between  the 
Jewish  ceremonial  baptisms,^  the  baptism  of  both 
Jesus  and  John  was  soon  brought  into  the  discussion, 
so  that  it  became  a  triangular  debate.^  The  origin 
and  validity  of  John*s  baptism  (he  was  not  himself 
baptized)  had  been  challenged  by  the  Jerusalem  com- 
mittee.^ The  Jew  probably  raised  the  question  again 
in  an  acute  form.  He  probably  "twitted  them  with 
the  decline  of  their  master's  popularity,  telling  them 
of  the  stir  whicn  the  new  prophet  was  making  in  Gali- 
lee." ^  The  relation  between  the  baptism  of  John 
and  that  of  Jesus  has  been  the  subject  of  sharp  de- 
bate ever  since.*^    The  matter  has  been  discussed  al- 

»  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco.  2  Godet,  in  loco.  «  Westcott,  in  loco. 

<  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  389.     Reynolds,  p.  392,  suggests 
that  the  Jew  wished  to  stir  them  up  against  Jesus. 
B  So  Godet,  in  loco.  «  cf.  Heb.  6:2;  9  :  10. 

">  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco;  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  391. 

8  John  1  :  25. 

9  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  70. 

'"Cf.  Lange,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  327. 


JOY  165 

ready  in  this  book  at  sufficient  length.  The  point  to 
note  here  is  not  the  merits  of  the  controversy,  but 
the  bitterness  of  tone  which  was  manifested,  as  is 
presently  plain.  x411  the  elements  of  partisan  feeling 
are  present.  The  intense  conviction  and  prejudice 
of  the  Pharisee  met  the  warm  devotion  of  John's  dis- 
ciples to  their  great  prophet,  a  devotion  all  the  warmer 
because  of  the  rising  of  the  new  star  on  the  Jewish 
horizon,  one  whom  they  had  come  to  feel  was  a  rival 
to  John.  To  be  sure,  neither  Jesus  nor  John  was  in- 
volved in  the  matter.  It  was  the  heat  of  over-rash 
disciples  of  John  and  a  Pharisee  and  possible  disciple 
of  Jesus.  But  it  is  with  just  such  inflammable  mate- 
rial that  the  fire  usually  starts.  The  sparks  flash  and 
the  blaze  grows.  Can  there  come  a  cleavage  between 
John  and  Jesus  ?  That  depends  ultimately  on  John  and 
Jesus,  and  first  on  John,  for  the  trouble  was  started 
in  his  circle  and  is  sure  to  come  to  his  notice  first. 

3.  The  Effort  to  Make  John  Jealous  of  Jesus. — 
There  is  the  sting  of  bitterness  in  their  words  when, 
probably  in  sore  discomfiture^  at  the  hands  of  the  Jew, 
they  come  to  John  and  say  :  "  Rabbi,  he  that  was  with 
thee  beyond  Jordan,  to  whom  thou  hast  borne  witness, 
behold,  the  same  baptizeth,  and  all  men  come  to  him."^ 
The  recital  of  the  facts  is  well  calculated  to  stir  envy 
in  the  bosom  of  John.  It  is  plain  that  these  disci- 
ples find  refuge  from  defeat  in  the  determination  to 
drive  a  wedge  between  John  and  Jesus.  The  method 
of  their  statement  claims  for  John  the  precedence 
over  Jesus.     He  had  come  to  John  beyond  Jordan. 

>  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  70.  2  John,  3  :  26. 


166  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

"Every  word  was  bitter  or  charged  with  innuendo."  ^ 
Reynolds  puts  this  sharply:  "He  that  was  with  thee 
(dependent  on  thee,  apparently  a  humble  disciple  of 
thy  message)  beyond  Jordan  (in  a  better  baptizing 
place  than  this,  on  a  grand  historic  site,  at  a  moment 
of  thy  greatest  influence,  when  even  the  Sanhedrin 
sent  to  examine  and  endorse  thy  self-assertions),  to 
whom  thou  hast  home  witness  (thus  making  his  posi- 
tion dependent  in  some  respects  on  thy  influence  with 
the  people),  behold  the  same  haptizeth,  and  all  men 
come  to  him.  (Are  there  two  baptismal  communions 
to  co-exist?  Dost  thou  approve  of  the  course  taken 
by  the  new  prophet?)"  Every  word  is  a  poisoned 
arrow.  The  littleness  of  these  disciples  of  John  is 
shown  by  this  story  of  bad  temper.  John  had  prob- 
ably heard  before  of  the  great  work  of  Jesus  down  by 
the  Jordan  in  his  old  haunts.  He  had  testified  to 
Jesus  nor  had  he  taken  it  back.^  They  had,  no 
doubt,  exaggerated  a  good  deal  when  they  said  "All 
men  come  to  him."  But  they  were  putting  it  strongly 
on  purpose.  They  felt  deeply  on  the  subject  and 
wished  to  stir  resentment  in  the  breast  of  John  toward 
Jesus.  It  was  well  and  good  to  be  sensitive  for  the 
honor  of  John,  but  had  Jesus  done  aught  to  justify  the 
anger  of  these  defenders  of  John  ?  What  preacher  of 
the  gospel  has  not  had  his  special  admirers  come  to  him 
with  bitter  talk  in  depreciation  of  some  other  preacher 
supposed  to  be  a  rival  of  their  favorite?  The  devil 
had  gone  directly  to  Jesus  for  open  combat.     He  came 

J  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  392. 

2  w  <Tv  /lAe/aapTvprj/cas.     There  is  an  implied  reflection  on  John  in  the 
use  of  the  perfect  tense. 


JOY  167 

to  John  first  in  the  guise  of  an  ecclesiastical  commis- 
sion, full  of  flattery  and  palaver.  He  comes  again  to 
John  in  the  person  of  his  own  disciples,  who  doubtless 
felt  that  they  deserved  the  highest  place  in  John's 
esteem  by  reason  of  their  superior  loyalty.  They  had 
championed  his  cause  against  a  Pharisee.  They  had 
stood  for  John's  cause  against  that  of  the  new-comer 
at  the  Jordan,  who  owed  all  his  prestige  to  the  gen- 
erous words,  the  too  generous  words,  of  John  himself. 
"The  suggestion  was  that  Jesus  had  kicked  away  the 
ladder  by  which  he  had  risen,  and  that  his  success  was  ^ 
at  the  expense  of  his  friend.  It  was  such  a  speech  as 
would  have  played  havoc  with  a  little  mind  and  an 
unprincipled  soul.  Never  are  the  suggestions  of  self- 
love  so  dangerous  as  when  they  are  whispered  in  the 
ear  by  the  flattering  lips  of  sympathizers."  ^  Many  a 
man  in  high  station  has  had  his  soul  embittered  by 
the  foolish  talk  of  fawning  admirers  who,  once  they 
saw  that  their  envious  tattle  is  relished,  have  a  never- 
failing  supply  of  fresh  gossip  at  the  expense  of  the 
great  man's  rivals.  It  is  a  severe  testing  to  which 
John  is  here  subjected.  "  When  for  a  lifetime  a  man 
has  stood  on  the  pinnacle  of  influence,  but  at  last  his 
day  is  over  and  another  appears  to  take  his  place, 
it  is  a  miracle  of  grace  if  he  is  able  to  look  on  his  suc- 
cessor with  friendliness  and  genuine  good-will."  ^ 
Can  John  work  that  miracle?  Will  he  be  loyal  to 
Jesus  now? 

4.  John's  Nohle  Reply. — Nowhere  does  the  Baptist 
appear  so  w^ell  as  in  his  response  to  the  envious  innu- 

1  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  232.  « Ibid.,  p.  233. 


168  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

endoes  of  his  disciples.  The  greatness  of  John  rises 
far  above  their  littleness  of  soul.  He  performs  a 
miracle*  of  self-mastery,  and  with  serene  lucidity 
brushes  aside  their  rancorous  hints.  He  is  genuinely 
humble,  supremely  humble  and  great,  as  with  pathetic 
tenderness^  he  passes  by  the  cause  of  their  dispute  and 
touches  the  really  essential  matter,  his  own  relation 
and  attitude  toward  Jesus. 

(a)  The  Hand  of  God  Acknowledged  by  John. — "A 
man  can  receive  nothing,  except  it  have  been  given 
him  from  heaven."  ^  Thus  he  meets  the  jealous  zeal 
of  his  disciples  with  a  broad  general  principle  of  God's 
control  over  a  man's  life.  This  is  no  platitude  with 
John,  but  his  philosophy  of  life.  The  language  is 
general  *  and  does  not  refer  direcdy  to  either  John  or 
Jesus.  The  critics  have  been  much  divided  as  to 
whether  John  means  to  describe  Jesus.  "  The  greater 
activity  and  success  of  Jesus  was  given  Him  of  God."  ^ 
Hence  John  has  no  ground  to  complain  at  the  mani- 
festation of  God's  power  in  the  work  of  Jesus.  On 
the  other  hand,  Godet^  argues  that  John  is  thinking  of 
himself :  "  I  cannot  take  that  which  God  has  not 
given  me."  Godet  argues  for  this  interpretation, 
since  verses  27-30  seem  to  be  a  portrayal  of  the  Bap- 
tist's work,  and  verses  31-36  that  of  Jesus.  A  plau- 
sible interpretation  can  be  made  from  either  stand- 
point. Westcott'  holds  that  the  principle  is  applicable 
to  both  John  and  Jesus,  and  probably  was  meant  by 

»  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  233. 

2Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  392 

'  John  3  :  27.  *  avdpojno^.  *  Meyer,  in  loco. 

^  In  loco.  1 1n  loco. 


JOY  169 

John  to  have  a  double  reference  :  "  I  cannot  claim 
any  new  authority  which  has  not  been  directly  assigned 
to  me;  He,  of  whom  you  speak,  cannot  effectually 
exercise  His  power  unless  it  be  of  divine  origin." 
This  is  probably  nearer  the  truth,  though,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  John  would  naturally  make  the  application 
first  and  mainly  to  himself.  This  general  principle  is 
a  sufficient  justification  of  Jesus  in  his  work  of  preach- 
ing and  baptizing.  It  also  shows  that  it  was  not 
rivalry  that  prompted  John  to  go  on  with  his  work 
after  Jesus  had  begun  his  ministry.^  From  our  point 
of  view  the  difficulty  is  that  John  should  have  carried 
on  a  parallel  ministry,  but  it  is  a  superficial  objection, 
which  disappears  upon  reflection.  Some  of  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  may  have  wondered  at  the  time  why 
John  did  not  quit  baptizing  and  give  way  at  once  to 
the  w^ork  of  Jesus  and  enroll  himself  as  a  disciple  of 
the  Messiah.  "But  so  long  as  John  saw  that  men 
were  led  by  his  preaching  to  accept  the  Messiah  he 
might  well  believe  that  he  served  Christ  better  thus 
than  by  following  in  His  train."  ^  John  wishes  to 
make  it  plain  that  in  the  nature  of  the  case  there  is  no 
ground  for  rivalry.  "  The  message  which  was  brought 
by  his  disciples  as  a  complaint,  in  his  eyes  crowns  his 
proper  joy."  ^  Success  would  not  be  success  if  it  did 
not  come  from  God.  He  is  not  arrogating  anything 
to  himself,  when  he  simply  receives^  what  is  given  him 

»  Cf.  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 

2  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco.  3  Westcott,  in  loco. 

*  Aa/tA/Saveu/.  Cf.  Meyer,  in  loco.  The  perfect  passive  subjunctive  (peri- 
phrastic). ««»'  M'J  ]5  SeSofx-evov  is  rather  awkwardly  translated  in  the 
Revised  Version.  The  gift  is  already  made  before  it  is  received,  made  in 
God's  plan. 


170  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

from  heaven  as  part  of  God's  plan  for  him.  Each 
man's  life  is  a  plan  of  God  according  to  John.  But  it 
is  only  a  great  soul  who  can  realize  this  truth  in  his 
own  life  when  the  tide  of  success  is  ebbing  away  from 
him.  This  is  the  greatness  of  John,  that  he  can  see 
God  in  his  life  when  the  sun  has  begun  to  go  down. 
John  was  untainted  by  the  artificialities  of  life.  He 
went  straight  to  the  heart  of  things. 

(b)  John  Had  Already  Explained  the  Situation. — 
"  Ye  yourselves  bear  me  witness,  that  I  said,  I  am  not 
the  Christ,  but,  that  I  am  sent  before  him."  ^  John 
not  merely  applies  his  general  principle  to  himself, 
but  he  appeals  to  these  querulous  disciples^  as  witnesses 
to  his  previous  teaching  on  this  very  subject  of  the  re- 
lation between  himself  and  the  Messiah.  They  were 
mistaken  in  their  zeal,  and  it  was  due  to  needless  igno- 
rance on  their  part.  They  cannot  blame  John  for 
their  error  in  the  matter.  They  had  heard  him  deny 
to  the  committee  from  Jerusalem  (or  had  certainly 
heard  of  it)  that  he  was  the  Messiah.^  He  had  also 
expressly  pointed  out  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  and  had 
done  it  publicly  twice.^  They  had  accused  John  of 
having  borne  testimony^  to  the  work  and  mission  of 
Jesus.  In  so  doing  they  convicted  themselves  of 
knowledge  of  the  fact  that  John  is  now  bringing  to 
their  attention.  He  had  plainly  said  :  "I  am  not  the 
Christ."  He  had  also  said  that  Jesus  was  the  one  of 
whom  he  had  been  speaking.^    John  reminds  them 

1  John  1 :  28. 

2  avToc  vneU.     Emphatic  intensive  pronoun. 

8  John  1  :  19-30.  *  John  1  :  32,  35. 

6  John  1 :  26.  «  John  1  :  30. 


JOY  171 

that,  while  he  has  borne  witness^  to  Jesus  as  they  have 
charged,  they  are  themselves  bearing  witness^  against 
themselves.  It  is  not  a  mere  keen  retort.  It  is  a 
complete  answer  and  exposure  of  their  bad  spirit  in 
their  suggestions.  Certainly  he  is  not  responsible  for 
the  jealous  humor  which  they  have  exhibited.^  As  to 
himself,  John  repeats,  what  he  has  previously  ex- 
plained, "I  am  sent  before  him."  He  is  the  Fore- 
runner of  Jesus  the  Messiah.  He  claims  to  be  no 
more,  but  he  does  claim  that.  That  is  honor  enough 
for  him.  He  is  willing  now  to  stand  aside  and  see 
Jesus  do  the  work,  if  God  so  wills.  Some  men  have 
to  be  second  in  God's  plan.  John  is  second  while 
Jesus  is  first.  He  has  no  repining  as  he  takes  his 
divinely  allotted  place.  "There  is  nothing  more  dis- 
astrous or  ridiculous  than  for  the  second,  instead  of 
filling  his  own  place  and  doing  his  own  work,  to  be 
pining  for  the  place  and  the  work  of  the  first."  ^ 

(c)  The  Friend  of  the  Bridegroom. — "  He  that  hath 
the  bride  is  the  bridegroom;  but  the  friend  of  the 
bridegroom,  which  standeth  and  heareth  him,  re- 
joiceth  greatly  because  of  the  bridegroom's  voice  :  this 
my  joy  is  fulfilled."  ^  In  the  Old  Testament  the  bride 
is  a  familiar  figure  for  the  people  of  God  whose  bride- 
groom is  Jehovah  himself.^  The  Messiah,  therefore, 
as  the  bridegroom  is  the  highest  manifestation  of 
Jehovah.^    This  mysterious  language  about  the  Mes- 

*  /ui€/xapTvpi)Ka9.     John  3  :  26. 

2  /aapTupeire.     John  3  :  28.  *  Godet,  in  loco. 

*  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  233.  ^  John  3  :  29. 

«  Ex.  34  :  15;  Deut.  31  :  16;  Ezek.   16;    Isa.  54  :  5;    Hosea  2  :  18;    Ps. 
45;  73:  27;  Mai.  2:  11. 
T  Godet,  in  loco. 


172  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

siah  is  in  harmony  with  John's  use  of  the  phrase, 
"  Lamb  of  God,"  about  the  Messiah.  John  stands  *'  on 
the  arch  of  the  Old  Testament"  ^  in  giving  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  system  which  he  closes.  Jesus  him- 
self will  later  speak  of  himself  as  the  bridegroom^ 
when  the  disciples  of  the  Baptist  come  in  company 
with  the  Pharisees  to  complain  of  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  for  not  fasting.  Once  again,  therefore,  disciples 
of  John  will  be  jealous  of  Jesus  and  his  follow^ers,  and 
will  seek  to  fasten  the  clamps  of  an  outworn  Judaism 
upon  Christianity,  but  a  Christianity  from  which  they 
still  hold  aloof.  They  will  then  be  in  company  with 
Pharisees,  not  in  controversy,  as  here.  But  we  have 
no  doubt  as  to  the  answer  that  the  Baptist  would  have 
made.  He  did  practise  fasting,  but  he  did  not  seek  to 
bind  Jewish  ceremonialism  upon  the  people.  He 
sought  to  make  them  really  spiritual  in  life.  Jesus 
likewise  uses  the  figure  in  Matt.  22  :  1  f .  in  the  parable 
of  the  Marriage  of  the  King's  Son.  He  is  the  King's 
Son  and  the  bride  is  the  people  of  God.  Once  more 
in  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins^  Jesus  is  the  bride- 
groom. The  figure  is  repeated  by  Paul  ^  and  John.^ 
John  shows  his  knowledge  of  the  Old  Testament  in 
the  use  of  the  figure,  and  also  his  power  in  the  use  of 
happy  illustrations.  The  parable  throws  a  touch  of 
beauty  and  of  joy  into  the  overstrained  tension  of  the 
moment. 

The  bridegroom  has^  the  bride.     He  is  supreme  at 

>  Westcott,  in  loco. 

«  Matt.  9  :  15:  Mark  2  :  19  f.;  Luke  5  :  34  f .  3  Matt.  25  :  1-13. 

<Eph.  5:  32f.;  II  Cor.  11:  2. 

6  Rev.  19  :  7;  21  :  2.  9;   22  :  17.     Cf.  also  James  4  :  4. 

6  exfov  equals  has  and  holds  as  wife.     Cf.  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 


JOY  173 

the  marriage  feast.  "  There  is  only  one  in  whom  the 
people  of  God  can  find  their  permanent  joy  and  rest; 
one  who  is  the  perennial  spring  of  this  happiness  and 
life/'  ^  Jesus  is  the  bridegroom^  and  is  entitled  to  the 
happiness  of  the  present  hour.  It  is  his  hour  of  joy 
and  he  is  entitled  to  the  jubilation  which  comes  with 
the  setting  up  of  the  kingdom.  As  for  John  himself,  he 
is  "the  friend  of  the  bridegroom."  But  that  is  no 
mean  function  in  a  Hebrew  wedding.  He  acts  as  a 
"go-between"  in  the  wooing  of  the  bride  by  the  bride- 
groom, makes  the  arrangements  for  the  wedding  and 
acts  as  master  of  ceremonies  at  the  feast.^  When  the 
bridegroom  comes  upon  the  scene,  the  friend  of  the 
bridegroom  steps  into  the  background,  but  not  too 
far  away.  He  stands  "  in  the  attitude  of  expectation 
and  ready  service"  *  and  listens^  for  the  further  com- 
mands of  the  bridegroom.  He  has  finished  his  work, 
but  he  tarries  to  see  if  there  is  aught  more  for  him  to 
do.  There  is  joy  in  the  ring  of  the  bridegroom's  voice, 
and  because^  of  this  fact  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom 
rejoices  exceedingly.'^  There  is  no  alloy^  in  this  joy. 
The  full,  clear  joy  of  the  bridegroom  "causes  the 
heart  of  his  friend  to  leap  for  joy."  ^  John's  disciples 
need  not  think  that  he,  the  friend  ^^  of  this  bridegroom, 
is  jealous  or  unhappy  over  the  news  from  the  Jordan. 
They  have  utterly  misunderstood  John  and  the  whole 

*  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco.  2  ^  vv/n^t'o?  sponsus. 
8Cf.  Buxtorf,  "Lex.  Rabb." 

*  WeStCOtt,  in  loco.      6  eo-njKW?.  ^  i^ovwi/. 
^  Sia  Tr]V  (fxiivrju  rov  vvfj.<f>LOV. 

^  X*P?  xaipei..     Common  in  the  LXX,  but  found  in  the  ancient  Greek. 
8  Westcott,  in  loco.  9  Godet,  in  loco. 

*"  6  ^tAos  ToO  vvix^Lqv.     Also  called  wapai/u/x^ios,  I'Vju.^aywyos;  the  Hebrew 
Shoshhen. 


174  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

situation  if  they  imagine  that  to  be  true.  Instead  of 
that  he  is  shouting  "Hallelujah."^  "This  my  joy 
therefore  is  fulfilled."  The  joy  of  seeing  my  work  as 
the  friend  of  the  bridegroom  so  well  accomplished  is 
mine.  The  news  that  the  disciples  bring  of  great 
crowds  who  attend  the  ministry  of  Jesus  fills  John's 
cup  to  the  full.  It  is  full  and  will  stay  full,^  in  spite 
of  all  their  jealous  talk.  The  song  is  in  his  heart. 
What  has  caused  vexation  in  them  is  precisely  the 
thing  which  raises  his  joy  to  the  highest  point.^  There 
is  no  murmur  to  come  from  John  at  the  success  of 
Jesus.  It  is  in  truth  the  very  object  for  which  he  has 
been  striving  all  the  time.*  Here  is  generosity,  here 
is  real  greatness  of  soul,  a  greatness  of  spirit  that  will 
lead  Jesus  to  call  John  the  greatest  of  those  born  of 
women. 

(d)  John^s  Fading  Light. — "He  must  increase,  but 
I  must  decrease."  ^  "  It  is  for  Him  to  go  on  growing 
and  for  me  to  be  ever  getting  less."  ^  Paley  adds  that 
the  language  is  solar.  Dr.  W.  H.  Whitsitt,  sometime 
President  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Theological  Sem- 
inary, and  long  Professor  of  Church  History,  once  re- 
marked that  in  the  church  calendar  the  birthday  of 
John  the  Baptist  comes  when  the  days  begin  to  shorten 
and  that  of  Jesus  when  they  begin  to  lengthen.  This 
is  true  in  the  calendar,  though  no  one  knows  how  it 
was  in  reality  save  that  the  two  events  were  about  six 

1  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  397. 

2  TreTrA^pwrai.     This  perfect  is  durative  plus  punctiliar. 
8  Godet,  in  loco. 

<  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  234. 

6  John  3  :  30.  '^k^Ivov  Sel  av^dveiv,  e/xe  6e  iKaTTova&at.  The  tenses  are 
present  (durative). 

6  Paley,  quoted  by  Marcus  Dods. 


JOY  175 

months  apart.     Marcus  Dods^  denies  that  the  arrange- 
ment in  the  church  calendar  had  such  a  motive  in 
view.     But  it  is  a  noble  renunciation  that  John  here 
makes  in  plain  language.     It  is  said,  not  with  the 
spirit  of  unwilling  resignation,  but  it  comes  from  the 
heart^  of  the  Baptist.     The  shadow  will  soon  begin  to 
fall  across  John's  path,  the  shadows  of  imprisonment, 
suspense,  martyrdom,^  but  John  will  go  steadily  on 
his  way  with  an  upright  head  so  long  as  he  may. 
This  may  be  the  last  word  which  we  have  from  the 
Baptist^  till  doubt  in  the  darkness  of  the  dungeon  at 
Machserus    forces  a  cry  from  him  for  more  light.^ 
His  sun  will  indeed  go  down,  down  into  the  night. 
The  darkness  is  nearer  at  hand  than  John  probably 
knew.     But  he  has  done  a  man's  work  in  his  short 
day.     His  public  ministry  could  not  have  been  more 
than  eighteen  months  in  length.     But  his  sun  has  v 
blazed  with  brilliance  during  that  day,  "  a  bright  and 
shining  lamp,''  indeed.     He  was  no  meteor,  no  comet^ 
but  the  bright  morning  star.®     He  has  seen  the  true 
light  come,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  with  healing  in 
his  wings.     He  knew  that  he  was  not^  the  real  light. 
But  it  had  been  his  joy  to  bear  witness®  of  that  light. 
He  has  shone  like  the  star  in  the  early  dawn.     He  has 
hailed  with  joy  the  coming  of  the  full  day.     Now  that 
day  has  come,  he  fades  away.     If  these  are  the  last 


'  In  loco.  ,    , 

2  Stalker,  "  The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  234.  *  Westcott,  in  loco. 

*  Unless  the  next  section  is  from  him. 
8  Matt.  11:  2  f.;  Luke  7  :  19. 

6  "  Fidelis  Lucifer."     Bernard  says  :  "  Lucet  ergo  Johannes,  tanto  verius 
quanto  minus  appetit  lucere."     Cf.  Marcus  Dods. 

V  John  1:9.  »  John  1:8.  »  John  1 :  10. 


176  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

words  of  John  in  public  discourse,  they  "are  the  full- 
ness of  religious  sacrifice,  and  fitly  close  his  work,  and 
with  it  the  Old  Dispensation."  ^  The  law  and  the 
prophets  were  until  John.  John  is  the  link  between 
the  Old  Covenant  and  the  New.  His  work  is  finished, 
but  it  stands  as  its  own  monument.  It  can  never  be 
duplicated  nor  forgotten.  He  formed  the  bridge  by 
which  the  first  Jews  passed  over  from  Moses  to  Christ. 
We  are  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan  now,  but  let  us 
never  forget  the  bridge  by  which  we  crossed  over. 

(e)  In  Praise  of  Jesus. — It  is  a  matter  of  keen  dis- 
pute among  scholars  whether  in  John  3  :  31-36  we 
have  the  reflections  of  the  Evangelist^  or  the  final 
testimony  of  the  Baptist^  to  Jesus.  It  is  true  that  the 
Fourth  Gospel  rather  often  glides  from  discourse  or 
dialogue  into  narrative  in  a  manner  difficult  always 
to  determine  the  point  of  departure.  An  instance  has 
occurred  in  this  very  chapter  of  John  (in  the  dialogue 
with  Nicodemus).^  Here  it  is  not  clear  w^hether  we 
have  the  words  of  Jesus  or  the  reflections  of  the 
Evangelist.  It  is  possible  also  that  we  have  in  John 
3  :  31-36  a  summary  of  the  teaching  of  John^  which 
may  not  have  been  spoken  on  this  occasion.  It  is  not 
easy  to  give  a  categorical  answer  in  view  of  all  the 
facts.  The  question  of  style  can  be  argued  both  ways.* 
The  use  of  "the  Son"  and  "the  Father"  is  like  the 
language  of  Jesus  at  a  later  time,  but  John  had  heard 
the  Father's  voice  at  the  baptism  of  Jesus,  and  had 
called  Jesus  the  Son  of  God.     It  is  possible  that  in 

1  Westcott,  in  loco.  2  go  Westcott,  Marcus  Dods,  etc. 

'Meyer,  Godet,  etc.  *  Verses  16-21. 

6  Cf.  John  12  :  44-50.  6  Westcott,  in  loco. 


JOY  177 

this  section  we  do  not  have  so  formal  a  reproduction 
of  the  very  language  of  the  Baptist,  but  his  words 
adapted  more  freely  to  the  language  of  the  Evangelist. 
The  passage  may  be  expounded  as  substantially  the 
language  of  the  Baptist,  but  with  an  element  of  doubt 
remaining.  Meyer^  is  quite  positive  :  "  We  perceive 
how  the  Baptist,  as  with  the  mind  of  Jesus  himself, 
unveils  before  his  disciples,  in  whose  narrower  circle 
he  speaks,  with  the  growing  inspiration  of  the  last 
prophet,  the  full  majesty  of  Jesus;  and  with  this,  as 
his  swanlike  song,  completes  his  testimony  before  he 
vanishes  from  the  history.  Even  the  subsequent  per- 
plexity is  not  irreconcilable  with  this,  simply  because 
John  is  'of  the  earth.'  "  It  is  not  hard  to  see  how  the 
testimony  here  given  is  possible  from  John's  stand- 
point. He  would,  in  that  case,  rise  to  a  somewhat 
higher  level,  but  that  is  all.  The  Coming  One  is 
"from  above"  as  John  knew  from  the  Voice  at  the 
baptism.  He  is  in  truth  "above  all,"  not  merely 
John,  but  all  men.  John  then  makes  a  still  wider 
cleavage  between  himself  and  Jesus.  Jesus  is  above 
and  speaks  what  he  receives  from  above,  while  John 
is  from  the  earth  like  other  men,  and  receives  his 
message  through  the  medium  of  men.  "No  man  re- 
ceiveth  his  witness"  sounds  pessimistic  in  view  of  the 
report  of  the  disciples  of  John  about  Jesus.  But  John 
knows  that  crowds  and  conversion  are  not  synonymous 
terms.  The  vast  multitude  of  men  in  the  first  century 
did  not  come  to  Christ.  John  qualifies  his  universal 
negative  in  the  next  sentence.     God  had  sent  Jesus 

'  In  loco. 


178  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  had  endowed  him  with  the  Holy  Spirit  without 
stint,  as  John  had  previously  said.  The  Son  has  un- 
limited power.  One's  attitude  to  the  Son  of  God 
determines  his  spiritual  destiny.  If  John  spoke  these 
words,  they  have  a  reference  once  more  to  the  jealous 
talk  of  the  disciples  of  John.  If  they  are  the  words  of 
the  Evangelist,  they  constitute  a  warning  suggested  by 
the  last  testimony  of  the  Baptist,  "the  final  peal  of 
thunder  from  Sinai  in  the  New  Testament."  * 

In  any  case  we  have  no  more  words  of  the  Baptist 
to  expound  save  his  rebuke  of  Herod  Antipas  and  that 
one  cry  in  the  night  from  Machserus.  It  is  with  re- 
gret that  we  must  continue  the  narrative  of  the  Bap- 
tist's career  without  his  soul-revealing  words.  In  a 
sense,  John  slips  away  from  us  now.  We  catch  a 
glimpse  of  him  now  and  then  as  he  flits  past  us  in  the 
shadows.  But  we  do  not  see  his  eye  nor  hear  his 
voice.  The  echo  of  that  voice  that  was  first  heard  in 
the  wilderness  of  Judea  continues  to  reverberate.  We 
know  that  John  was  not  idle,  though  he  no  longer 
fills  the  centre  of  the  stage.  The  very  trouble  that 
soon  befalls  him  is  due  to  his  activity,  not  to  his  in- 
activity. He  was  not  the  kind  of  man  to  sit  idly  by, 
to  mope,  to  lament  opportunities  for  service  now  gone 
forever.  He  was  not  an  old  man.  He  probably  had 
no  very  clear  conception  as  to  how  the  end  would 
come  to  him,  nor  when.  But  he  will  die  in  harness 
if  God  so  wills.  In  all  probability  the  effect  of  John's 
earnest  words,  his  last  public  testimony  to  Jesus  as 
the  Messiah,  was  to  focus  attention  more  than  ever 

J  Lange,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  II,  p.  332. 


JOY  179 

on  the  work  of  Jesus.  John  may  have  witnessed 
more  of  his  own  disciples  leaving  him  to  join  the 
Messiah.  If  so,  his  heart  was  glad.  We  do  not 
know  whether  John's  noble  testimony  was  reported 
at  once  to  Jesus  or  not.  He  must  surely  have  heard 
of  it  in  time.  The  light  is  turned  down.  The  cur- 
tain is  drawn.    The  Baptist  bids  us  good-night. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PERIL 

"But  Herod  the  tetrarch,  being  reproved  by  him  for 
Herodias  his  brother's  wife,  and  for  all  the  evil  things 
which  Herod  had  done,  added  yet  this  above  all,  that  he 
shut  up  John  in  prison"  (Luke  3 :  19  f.). 

1.  The  Sin  of  Herod  and  Herodias. — The  story  of 
Herod  the  Great  as  told  by  Josephus*  is  one  of  the 
most  shameful  in  human  history.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  gifts,  which  he  prostituted  to  selfish  ambition 
and  passion.  At  his  death  one  of  the  worst  of  his 
sons,  now  that  Antipater  was  dead,  was  the  one  named 
Antipas,  his  son  by  Malthace.  Archelaus  had  a  worse 
reputation  than  Antipas  at  the  time,  as  is  shown  by 
the  change  in  the  plans  of  Joseph  in  Egypt  on  receipt 
of  the  news  that  Archelaus  is  reigning  in  Judea.^ 
Archelaus  was  inefficient  and  incapable  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  lost  his  position  in  ten  years.  Antipas 
was  Tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea,  and  for  a  while 
his  country  (Perea)  afforded  an  asylum  for  John  the 
Baptist  from  the  persecution  of  the  Pharisees.  Jesus 
also  spent  most  of  his  active  ministry  in  his  dominion 
(Galilee).  The  vices  of  Herod  Antipas  were  mainly 
of  a  private   nature.     He  became  proficient  in  his 

J  Cf.  "  Ant.,"  Books  xiv-xvil.  «  Matt.  2  :  22. 

180 


PERIL  181 

father's  vices,  "craft,  cruelty,  and  licentiousness."* 
It  is  his  private  life  that  concerns  our  narrative  be- 
cause it  is  at  this  point  that  John's  career  touches  his. 
"  In  point  of  character,  Antipas  was  a  genuine  son  of 
old  Herod — sly,  ambitious,  and  luxurious,  only  not  so 
able  as  his  father."  ^  Jesus  will  call  him  "  that  fox."  ^ 
He  needed  his  craft  in  managing  the  Galileans,  and 
made  a  political  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Aretas, 
King  of  Arabia,  in  order  to  keep  away  the  Arabians. 
On  a  visit  to  Rome  to  see  his  brother  Herod  Philip, 
son  of  Herod  the  Great  by  Mariamne  (the  high- 
priest's  daughter),  he  fell  in  love  with  Philip's  wife, 
Herodias,  daughter  of  Aristobulus  (son  of  Mariamne). 
She  was  thus  the  granddaughter  of  Herod  the  Great, 
and  had  married  her  uncle,  Herod  Philip.  They  had 
a  daughter,  Salome,  named  after  the  sister  of  Herod 
the  Great.  Herod  Antipas,  also  her  uncle,  proposed 
to  her  that  she  leave  Philip  for  him.  She  entertained 
his  proposal  and  consented  on  condition  that  he 
divorce  the  daughter  of  Aretas.  It  was  not  necessary 
for  Antipas  to  divorce  his  wife,  since  "  the  Jewish  law 
allowed  the  king  eighteen  wives."  *  She  would  need 
a  divorce  from  her  husband,  but  her  stipulation  was 
doubtless  occasioned  by  jealousy.  The  daughter  of 
Aretas  found  out  the  agreement  and  wrote  to  her 
father,  King  Aretas,  "to  send  for  her  to  come  to 
Machserus,  which  is  a  place  in  the  borders  of  the 

»  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  71. 

2  Schuerer,  "Jewish  People,"  div.  I,  vol.  II,  p.  18. 

3  Luke  13  :  32.  "  Herod  Antipas — the  pettiest,  meanest,  weakest,  most 
contemptible  of  titular  princelings"  (Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I, 
p.  289). 

*  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  71.  Cf.  Schuerer,  "Jewish  People," 
div.  I,  vol.  I,  p.  455. 


182  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

dominions  of  Aretas  and  Herod."  *  This  fortress 
soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  Herod  Antipas.  Anti- 
pas  was  glad  for  his  wife  to  go.  She  fled  not  merely 
to  Machaerus,  but  to  her  father's  home  in  Petra,  and 
the  result  was  that  Aretas  became  hostile  to  Herod 
Antipas.  Antipas  went  on  and  married  Herodias,  to 
the  disgust  of  the  public.  He  had  flagrantly  violated 
the  Jewish  law  in  this  marriage.^  His  brother  was 
still  living  and  they  had  a  living  daughter.  It  was 
indeed  "a  monstrous  transgression,  combining  heart- 
lessness,  treachery,  adultery,  and  incest."  ^  The  Jews 
had  now  become  familiar  with  wickedness  in  high 
places.  It  was  the  Roman  fashion,  as  was  seen  in  the 
lives  of  Julius  Caesar  and  Antony.  The  old  Roman 
virtue  in  public  men  was  gone.  The  Herods  had 
caught  the  fashion  of  the  times.  People  were  ex- 
pected to  concern  themselves  with  the  public  acts  of 
rulers,  not  their  private  morals.  Once  Nathan  had 
gone  to  David  and  said  :  "Thou  art  the  man."  Was 
there  a  prophet  to-day  who  would  denounce  a  Herod 
to  his  face  for  his  sins?  The  people  would  talk  in 
private  and  lament  the  sad  lapses  in  public  and  private 
life.  But  the  professional  rabbis  in  Jerusalem  could 
excuse  themselves  by  saying  that  they  lived  in  the 
jurisdiction  of  Pontius  Pilate.  Was  there  a  voice 
willing  to  be  the  conscience  of  the  people  in  this 
emergency  ? 

2.  John's    Denunciation. — "For    John    said    unto 
Herod,  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  thy  brother's 

1  Josephus,  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  1.  ^  Lev.  18 :  16;  20 :  21. 

8 Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  pp.  71  f. 


PERIL  183 

wife."  *  The  ground  for  this  condemnation  is  not  that 
she  was  his  niece,^  but  the  fact  that  Herodias  was  his 
brother's  wife,  and  his  brother  was  still  living  and  the 
daughter  also.  Herod  had  put  away  his  wife,  and 
Herodias  had  nominally  divorced  her  husband  Herod 
Philip.  But  "Herodias  took  upon  her  to  confound 
the  laws  of  our  country,  and  divorced  herself  from  her 
husband  while  he  was  alive,  and  was  married  to 
Herod."  ^  Salome,  the  sister  of  Herod  the  Great,  had 
also  divorced  her  husband  contrary  to  Jewish  custom.* 
It  was  a  Roman  custom  extremely  common  at  this 
time  and  is  mentioned  once  by  Jesus. ^  The  imper- 
fect tense®  ("said")  in  both  Matthew  and  Mark  may 
indicate  that  John  had  repeatedly  expressed  the  opin- 
ion that  Herod  should  put  Herodias  away.^  It  is  not 
clear  how  John  came  to  speak  on  this  subject.  He 
had  not  feared  to  upbraid  the  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees  (the  religious  leaders)  to  their  faces.^  John 
was  not  the  kind  of  preacher  to  be  blind  to  the  sins  of 
men  in  high  places  (ecclesiastical  or  civil).  He  was 
not  a  demagogue  and  would  not  appeal  to  the  baser 
passions  of  the  people  against  men  in  office.  He  had 
been  fearless  in  the  exposure  of  the  sins  of  all  classes 
of  people  in  Palestine.  John  did  not  keep  his  ear 
to  the  ground  for  the  applause  of  the  groundlings.  ^. 
Never  was  man  more  absolutely  indifferent  to  public 

1  Mark  6  :  18.     Cf.  Matt.  14  :  4. 

2  This  was  also  apparently  unlawful  (cf.  Lev.   18 :  12  ff.).     Broadus, 
"Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  317. 

sjosephus,  "Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  4. 

<  Ihid.,  XV,  8,  10.  s  Mark  10  :  12. 

«  eAc'ye*'.     Said  repeatedly,  had  been  saying.     The  form  may  indeed 
be  an  old  second  aorist  also,  but  the  imperfect  idea  suits  best  here. 

7  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  317. 

8  Matt.  3  :  7. 


184  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

opinion  in  itself.  He  would  defy  a  nation  or  a  king 
with  equal  readiness  if  occasion  demanded  it.  When 
John  was  at  Enon,  near  to  Salem,  he  was  not  far  from 
Tiberias,  the  capital  of  Herod  Antipas.  He  was  on 
the  border  of  Galilee.  Did  Herod  Antipas  send  for 
John  to  come  and  give  his  opinion  of  his  marriage  in 
the  hope  that  it  might  be  favorable  in  order  to  stem 
the  tide  of  public  discontent  against  him?  That  is 
possible  in  itself/  but  on  the  whole  hardly  likely.  It 
is  possible  that  the  Pharisees  in  John's  audiences  may 
have,  from  time  to  time,  asked  his  opinion  of  Herod's 
marriage  in  order  to  inveigle  John  into  imprudent 
remarks.^  If  it  was  a  trap,  John  was  not  afraid  to 
walk  into  it.  He  probably  knew  what  the  penalty 
would  be.  It  seems  clear  that  John  finally  spoke  his 
opinion  of  Herod  to  his  face.  John  was  no  frequenter 
of  courts^  and  may  have  sent  his  message  to  Herod  by 
his  disciples.'*  But  it  is  much  more  probable  that 
John  went  himself.  Herod  did  later  have  frequent 
personal  intercourse  with  him.^  It  is  likely  that,  after 
John  had  publicly  denounced  this  marriage  of  Herod 
and  Herodias  that  he  received  a  message  to  come  to 
Machserus  to  see  Herod.  The  motive  of  Herod  may 
have  been  to  overawe  John  and  make  him  take  it  back 
or  to  have  absolute  proof  against  him  in  case  he  stood 
by  the  reported  condemnation.^  It  is  hardly  likely 
that  John  was  asked  to  come  to  Tiberias.  He  may 
indeed  have  gone  to  Machserus  several   times  and 

*  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  317. 

2  Of.  John  4  :  1  f.;  Luke  13  :  32.  »  Matt.  11:8. 

*  Swete,  "  Mark,"  p.  116.     Cf.  Matt.  11:2.  s  Mark  6  :  20. 
'"Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  317. 


PERIL  185 

have  repeated  his  demand  that  Herod  put  away 
Herodias/  There  are  always  people  ready  to  say 
that  a  preacher  is  meddling  in  politics  if  he  exposes 
the  sins  of  men  in  public  office.  But  John  did  not 
think  of  morality  and  public  office  as  two  wholly  dis- 
tinct spheres.  With  him  public  office  was  not  a 
closed  circle  which  he  could  not  enter.  The  preacher 
is  the  public  censor  of  morals.  It  may  be  prudence  on 
the  part  of  a  preacher  to  be  silent  in  the  face  of  evil 
conduct  in  the  lives  of  public  men,  but  it  is  probably 
also  cowardice.  It  is  easy  to  retort  that  John  ran  the 
risk  of  losing  his  head  by  his  course,  but  the  reply  is 
at  hand.  A  preacher's  head  is  not  worth  saving  when 
his  mouth  is  silent  at  the  cost  of  his  courage  and  his 
duty.  It  is  not  for  the  preacher  to  measure  his  words 
when  righteousness  is  in  peril.  If  the  ruler  can  with 
impunity  defy  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  the  common 
decencies  of  life,  it  is  idle  to  exhort  the  people  to  obey 
them.  John  did  not  spare  Herod.  He  dared  to 
look  Herod  in  the  eye  and  tell  him  of  all  his  sins.^ 
It  was  a  long  list  in  simple  truth.  John  laid  chief 
emphasis  on  Herod's  adukerous  marriage.  He  re- 
buked ^  him  with  point  and  force.  So  Luther,  at  the 
Diet  of  Worms,  defied  the  authorities.  Knox  faced 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots."*  Jesus  himself  one  day  turned 
upon  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  with  a  denunciation 
the  echoes  of  which  will  never  die  away.^  John  had 
refuge  in  the  territory  of  Herod  Antipas  and  now  it 

»  Swete,  "Mark,"  p.  116.     Of.  I  Kings  17  :  1;    18  :  1  f.;    21 :  17  ff.;   II 
Kings  1 :  15. 

2  Luke  3  :  19.      nepX  irivrtav  Stv  ciroiT}<re  irovrfpiov. 

8  e\€yx6iJievo<s.     Luke  3  :  19.     Cf.  I  Tim.  5  :  20. 

*  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  317.  ^^  Matt.  23. 


186  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

had  come  to  this.^  But  how  will  Herod  and  Herodias 
stand  this  open  and  repeated  rebuke  by  the  popular 
preacher  from  the  wilderness?  The  fact  that  John 
voiced  public  sentiment  in  the  matter  will  be  no  neces- 
sary safety  to  John,  not  when  a  Herod  is  concerned  in 
the  matter. 

3.  The  Resentment  of  Herod  and  Herodias. — One 
day  Herod  himself  "sent  forth  and  laid  hold  upon 
John  and  bound  him  in  prison  for  the  sake  of  Hero- 
dias." ^  Did  Herod  send  up  to  Aenon  after  John  ? 
A  day  came  when  Herod,  prodded  by  Herodias, 
would  stand  John's  rebukes  no  longer.  Luke'  says 
that  Herod  "  added  yet  this  above  all,  that  he  shut  up 
John  in  prison."  In  Luke's  opinion  this  was  the 
crowning  crime  of  his  career.  It  was  Herodias  who 
cared  most.  Herod  was  a  hardened  sinner  and  man 
of  the  world,  more  ready  to  give  and  take.  The  very 
boldness  of  John  in  the  matter  had  a  sort  of  fascina- 
tion for  him.  At  times  he  "heard  him  gladly,"  ^ 
though  this  was  not  his  normal  mood.  But  there  was 
no  vacillation  with  Herodias.  She  "  set  herself  against 
him"  ^  with  relentless  and  increasing  hate.  "Herod 
silenced  the  Baptist  by  sending  him  down  to  the 
dungeons,  and  dismissed  the  matter  from  his  mind. 
Not  so  Herodias;  her  resentment  could  be  satisfied 
only  by  the  Baptist's  death."  ^    But  that  was  not  to 

1  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  332. 

*  Mark  6  :  17.  Cf.  Matt.  14  :  3.  airoareiKa^  eKpaTr)<r€v  top  'loxxvrjv  KaX 
iSricrev  ev  if)v\aKfj. 

3  3 :  19.  ■  4  Mark  6 :  20. 

6  Mark  6 :  19.  ive'ixev  avrw.  Cf.  Gen.  49  :  23,  Note  imperfect  (dura- 
tive).  There  is  ellipsis.  The  phrase  is  curiously  like  the  modern  slang, 
"had  it  in  for  him." 

sSwete,  "Mark,"  p.  116. 


PERIL  187 

come  as  yet,  for,  though  she  desired  to  kill  him,  "  she 
could  not."  ^  The  reason  why  she  could  not  was  that 
Herod  "  feared  John,  knowing  that  he  was  a  righteous 
man  and  a  holy,  and  kept  him  safe."  ^  There  is 
power  in  goodness,  and  John  awed  Herod  by  mere 
force  of  character.  The  bad  fear  the  good  whom  they 
affect  to  despise.^  Ahab  was  stirred  to  anger  against 
Elijah  by  Jezebel.*  So  Herod  was  impressed  with 
the  piety  of  John  and  regarded  him  as  blameless  in 
his  relations  to  both  man  and  God.^  Hence,  though 
Herodias  raged  like  a  tigress  after  her  prey,  she  could 
not  reach  him.  Herod  kept  him  safe®  from  her.  He 
was  unwilling  to  put  him  to  death,  but  he  kept  him  in 
prison.  He  could  not  denounce  him  to  the  public 
while  in  the  dungeon,  and  yet  Herod  allowed  his  dis- 
ciples to  come  to  see  him.^  Herod  had  in  reality  a 
mixture  of  reverence  and  superstitious  dread  toward 
John.^  So  Herod  kept  John  for  a  time  from  the  mal- 
ice of  Herodias.  He  seems  to  have  made  frequent 
visits  to  Machserus,  and  really  found  pleasure^  in 
hearing  John  speak,  perhaps,  about  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  (cf.  Paul  and  Felix).  Herod  was  drawn  two 
ways^^  about  John.  He  had  respect  for  John's  good- 
ness and  yet  could  not  rid  himself  wholly  of  the  evil 
purpose  of  his  wife,  with  which  he  at  times  partly 


»  Mark  6  :  19.  « Mark  6 :  20.  *  Bengel,  in  loco. 

*  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  317. 

'  SiKaLov  Koi  ayiov. 

«  avverripet..     Imperfect  (durative).     Perfective  force  of  <rvv.     Cf.  Matt. 
:  17. 

7  Luke  3  :  19. 

8  Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 

9  TjSewi  oLVTov  fiKove.    Iterative  imperfect. 

"  A  Sii^vxos  avTjp  (James  1 :  8).     Marcus  Dods,  in  loco. 


188  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

sympathized.  Hence  he  was  "perplexed."^  When 
driven  hard  by  his  wife's  demoniacal  vindictiveness 
he  would  flee  to  John,  who  braced  "his  jaded  mind 
as  with  a  whiff  of  desert  air."  ^  This  psychological 
tangle  is  not  only  of  interest  to  students  of  men,  but  it 
is  intensely  human  and  realistic.  Herod  could  not 
as  yet  make  his  way^  out  of  the  tangle,  but  the  Damas- 
cus blade  of  peril  hung  over  John's  head  continually. 
There  came  moments  when  Herod  went  over  wholly 
to  the  point  of  view  of  Herodias  and  gave  way  to  his 
own  resentment  against  him.  Then  "he  would  have 
put  him  to  death,"  literally  "wishing  to  kill  him,"* 
and  be  done  with  the  whole  miserable  business.  At 
such  times  all  that  restrained  him  was  the  fact  that 
he  "feared  the  multitude."  ^  He  had  such  spells^  of 
fright  of  the  people  as  all  demagogues  have.  The 
masses  "counted  him  as  a  prophet."  ^  There  was  no 
way  to  change  popular  opinion  of  John.  To  kill  him 
would  be  to  intrench  him  as  a  hero  in  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  the  people  and  to  enrage  them  still  more 
against  Herod.  Even  the  Jewish  religious  leaders 
quailed  before  the  reputation  of  John  at  a  later  time.^ 
There  is  thus  no  real  conflict  between  the  motive 
given  by  Mark  (respect  for  John)  and  that  pre- 
sented by  Matthew  (fear  of  the  people).    Herod  was 

1  vnopei  correct  text  (Mark  6  :  20),  not  inoCei  (Text.  Receptus).  Herod 
did  do  many  things,  but  his  perplexity  is  the  point  here.  Note  im- 
perfect tense. 

2Swete,  "Mark,"  p.  117. 

3  ^jTopet  from  anopeia  equals  lose  one's  way. 

*  ^e\oiv  avTov  anoKTelvai.      Matt.  14  :  4.  Note  aorist  (punctiliar)  aTro/cTeZi/at. 

6  Matt.  14  :  4. 

«  e<^oj37jd7j,  aorist  (punctiliar)  tense. 

'  ws  irpo(j)^T7)v  avTov  elxov.     Note  imperfect  tense  (durative). 

8  Matt.  21  :  25-27,  32. 


PERIL  189 

influenced   by  both   at  different   times,   in   different 
moods. 

So  John  is  left  to  languish  in  the  prison  at  Ma- 
chserus.  The  fortress  is  mentioned  by  Josephus '} 
"Accordingly  he  was  sent  a  prisoner,  out  of  Herod's 
suspicious  temper,  to  Machserus,  the  castle  I  before 
mentioned."  Josephus^  also  gives  a  description  of 
this  powerful  fortress.  This  interesting  description 
by  Josephus  has  been  confirmed  by  recent  explora- 
tions.^ It  is  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Dead  Sea 
toward  the  northern  end,  about  seven  miles  from  the 
sea.  It  was  first  fortified  by  one  of  the  Maccabean 
princes  about  100  B.  C,  then  destroyed  by  the  Romans, 
and  rebuilt  by  Herod  the  Great.*  It  had  for  a  time 
been  held  by  Aretas,  the  King  of  Arabia,  whose 
daughter  Herod  Antipas  had  divorced,  but  now  it 
belonged  again  to  Antipas.  The  fortress  was  on  a 
high  mountain  loftier  than  those  around  Jerusalem. 
The  citadel  crowned  a  conical  hill  which  was  impreg- 
nable. Tristram  found  two  dungeons  in  the  ruins, 
in  one  of  which  John  the  Baptist  was  surely  placed. 
They  were  dark  and  cold  and  dank  like  the  inner 
prison^  of  Philippi  in  which  Paul  and  Silas  were  con- 
fined, or  the  Mamertine  Prison  in  Rome  in  which 
Paul  was  probably  held  during  his  second  Roman 
imprisonment  in  loneliness  and  cold.®  Near  Machse- 
rus were  springs,   Callirrhoe,  and  it  may  have  been 

1  "Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2.  2  "War,"  vii,  6,  1. 

8  Cf.  Tristram,  "Land  of  Moab"  (1873);  Schuerer,  "Jewish  People," 
div.  I,  vol.  II,  p.  250;  G.  A.  Smith,  "Historical  Geography  of  Palestine," 
pp.  569  f . 

*  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  316. 

6  Acts  16  :  24.  6 II  Tim.  4  :  10,  13,  21. 


190  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

these  springs  that  drew  Herod  Antipas,  like  his  father 
before  him,  to  Machserus.  But  we  must  leave  John 
"  in  that  remote  and  hopeless  imprisonment,  in  one  of 
those  deep  and  dark  dungeons  which  were  so  cold  in 
winter  and  so  hot  in  summer."  *  Here  for  about  a 
year  he  is  left.  He  has  occasional  visits  from  his 
followers  who  tell  him  bits  of  news  from  the  outside 
world,  with  now  and  then  a  word  about  Jesus,  the 
Messiah,  whom  he  had  announced,  baptized  and 
identified.^  How  strange  a  world  it  was  now  to  John! 
Gone  the  great  crowds  that  hung  upon  his  words  in 
the  wilderness;  gone  the  excitement  and  the  enthu- 
siasm of  those  wonderful  days.  Will  the  Messiah  not 
set  the  Forerunner  free? 

4.  The  Hand  of  the  Pharisees. — We  must  retrace 
our  steps  a  bit.  In  the  Synoptic  Gospels  we  have 
only  the  personal  aspects  of  the  controversy  between 
Herod  (and  Herodias)  and  John.  But  the  Fourth 
Gospel  ^  has  a  clear  implication  that  the  Pharisees  had 
a  hand  in  the  arrest  of  John  the  Baptist,  "when  there- 
fore the  Lord  knew  that  the  Pharisees  had  heard  that 
Jesus  was  making  and  baptizing  more  disciples  than 
John."  Jesus  therefore  left  Judea  to  go  into  Galilee, 
not  because  he  was  afraid  of  Herod  Antipas.  Galilee 
was  the  country  of  Herod  Antipas.  Matthew^  states 
that  Jesus  withdrew  into  Galilee  "  when  he  heard 
that  John  was  delivered  up."  That  was  sad  news  for 
Jesus.  Machserus  was  not  far  from  the  wilderness 
of  Judea  where  Jesus  was.     Herod  Antipas  as  yet  had 

1  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  316.     2  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  197. 
'  John  4  :  1  f.  4  4:12. 


PERIL  191 

no  reason  to  be  hostile  to  Jesus.  His  hatred  of  John 
was  a  personal  matter.  He  did  not  interfere  with  John 
because  of  his  religious  activity.  But  the  Pharisees 
were  already  opposed  to  Jesus^  as  to  John.  The 
Pharisees  might  incite  Herod  against  Jesus.  They 
will  later  seek  to  get  Christ  into  some  sort  of  entangle- 
ment with  Herod  Antipas.^  Jesus  is  suspicious  of  the 
Pharisees  and  concludes  to  make  Galilee  the  scene  of 
his  ministry  so  as  to  get  some  distance  from  Jerusalem, 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Pharisees.  Perhaps  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  had  brought  reports  of  remarks  made 
by  the  Pharisees  that  Jesus  was  no  better  than  John. 
They  had  carried  their  point  with  him  and  Jesus  had 
better  look  out.  The  action  of  Jesus  is  not  due  to 
unmanly  fear.  His  hour  has  not  come.  His  work  is 
not  done.  He  cannot  afford  to  be  rash.  The  work 
of  the  kingdom  needs  him.  The  Pharisees  are  in 
reality  now  afraid  that  Jesus,  in  view  of  his  success, 
which  is  surpassing  that  of  John,  may  prove  to  be 
more  formidable  than  John  himself.^  John  appar- 
ently had  more  points  of  contact  with  the  Pharisees 
than  Jesus.*  John  had  come  to  them  "in  the  way 
of  righteousness,"  ^  but  it  was  real,  not  ceremonial, 
righteousness  with  John.  Besides,  the  Pharisees  had 
resented  John's  baptizing.^  At  the  time  of  the  arrest 
of  John  he  had  on  the  whole  been  more  popular  than 
Jesus,  and  for  a  longer  time.  The  rising  tide  of 
Christ's  popularity  had  come  to  John's  disciples  and 
thus  to  John,  but  not  to  the  Pharisees  in  Jerusalem. 

J  John  2  :  13-22.  *  Luke  13  :31  ff. 

» Godet,  "John,"  p.  417.  *  Westcott,  "John,"  in  loco. 

8  Matt.  21 :  32.  «  Cf.  John  1 :  25. 


192  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

They  were  still  more  indignant  at  John,  who  had 
called  them  "a  brood  of  vipers."  That  word  had 
stuck  and  stung.  Herod  "  had  sent  forth  and  had  laid 
hold  upon  John."  ^  It  is  entirely  possible  that  the 
Pharisees  had  assisted  in  the  arrest  of  John.  They 
may  have  done  more.  It  may  have  been  the  Pharisees 
who  sent  the  first  word  to  Herod  about  John's  de- 
nunciation of  his  marriage,  not  that  they  approved  it, 
but  in  order  to  get  John  into  trouble.  They  are  en- 
tirely capable  of  such  tactics,  as  we  know  from  their 
conduct  in  connection  with  Jesus  and  Herod  Antipas.^ 
The  anger  of  the  Pharisees  toward  John  may  have 
been  greatly  increased  because  of  their  growing  dis- 
like of  Jesus  and  John's  public  endorsement  of  him 
as  the  Coming  One.  The  Pharisees  were  responsible 
for  the  withdrawal  of  Jesus  from  the  Jordan  to  Gali- 
lee. "  We  venture  the  suggestion  that  the  imprison- 
ment of  the  Baptist,  although  occasioned  by  his  out- 
spoken rebuke  of  Herod,  was  in  great  part  due  to  the 
intrigues  of  the  Pharisees."  ^  The  Phari'sees  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  personal  resentment  of  Herod  and 
Herodias  to  even  up  old  scores  of  their  own  against 
John. 

5.  The  Political  Excuse. — Josephus*  gives  another 
version  of  the  arrest  of  John  which  some  writers  have 
thought  to  be  inconsistent  with  that  found  in  the  Sy- 
noptic Gospels.  Josephus  says  :  "  Herod,  who  feared 
lest  the  great  influence  John  had  over  the  people 
might  put  it  into  his  power  and  inclination  to  raise  a 

1  Mark  6:17.  «  Luke  13  :  31  ff. 

3  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  393. 
*  "Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2. 


PERIL  193 

rebellion  (for  they  seemed  ready  to  do  anything  he 
should  advise)  thought  it  best,  by  putting  him  to 
death,  to  prevent  any  mischief  he  might  cause,  and 
not  bring  himself  into  diflBculties,  by  sparing  a  man  who 
might  make  him  repent  of  it  when  it  should  be  too  late." 
It  may  be  that  Josephus  has  here  told  what  is  true 
about  Herod.  Matthew^  says  that  Herod  "feared  the 
multitude,"  and  the  narrative  in  Josephus  may  well 
be  one  aspect  of  that  fear.  His  fear  of  John's  power 
grew  out  of  the  fact  that  the  people  regarded  him  as  a 
prophet.  Josephus  would  naturally  give  the  public 
aspect  of  the  matter,  while  the  Synoptic  Gospels  tell 
the  inside  facts.  The  Josephus  narrative  gives  the 
excuse  that  Herod  would  offer  for  the  arrest  of  John. 
He  was  a  dangerous  man,  too  dangerous  to  be  al- 
lowed further  liberty.  The  great  crowds  and  the  ex- 
citement up  and  down  the  Jordan  bore  witness  to 
that  fact.  He  had,  besides,  preached  much  about  a 
kingdom  that  was  at  hand,  and  the  popular  mind 
w^as  in  an  inflammable  state  and  likely  to  burst  into 
a  conflagration  at  any  moment.  Herod  could  thus  tell 
a  plausible  story  to  the  public  and  to  Caesar  for  his 
treatment  of  John,  if  Caesar  cared  to  know.  But 
Herod  knew,  if  Josephus  did  not,  that  all  this  was 
mere  excuse.  The  Pharisees  may,  indeed,  have  helped 
on  this  kind  of  talk.  It  was  thus  a  threefold  cord 
that  was  thrown  around  John  (personal  resentment, 
religious  prejudice,  political  apprehension).  John  did 
have  power  enough  with  the  people  to  stir  them  to 
rebellion  against  Herod  for  his  licentious  marriage. 

»14:5. 


194  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

There  was  an  element  of  truth  in  all  three  motives. 
The  trouble  came  out  of  the  personal  resentment,  but 
the  religious  aspect  of  it  would  easily  lead  to  political 
excitement.  The  various  motives  are  not  at  all  in- 
consistent.^ The  heart  of  the  matter  is  given  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels.  John  had  hit  Herod  hard,  had 
touched  a  sore  place.  There  is  nothing  more  terrible 
than  the  wrath  of  an  evil  woman,  especially  if  she  is  a 
woman  of  ability.  Herodias  cared  naught  for  Herod's 
political  excuses  and  palaver.  He  could  talk  in  that 
manner  if  he  wished.  She  had  a  grudge  against  John 
that  she  could  never  forgive.  It  burned  on  steadily 
with  unceasing  energy.  She  was  implacable.  She 
watched  the  moods  of  Herod.  She  watched  and 
counted  the  days.  A  convenient^  day  will  come  round 
some  time.  She  can  afford  to  wait.  The  life  of  John 
hangs  on  the  failure  of  this  woman  with  her  vacillat- 
ing husband.  That  is  to  say,  it  hangs  by  a  slender 
thread.  She  knows  no  such  word  as  "fail."  In  the 
end  she  will  have  her  way  or  Herod  will  answer  for 
the  refusal.  It  is  a  strange  providence  that  has 
brought  the  will  of  this  imperious  adulteress  against 
the  life  of  John  the  Baptist,  the  brave  and  pure  spirit 
of  the  hills,  who  fears  not  priest  nor  rabbi  nor  soldier 
nor  publican  nor  tetrarch  nor  woman.  He  is  caught 
in  the  coils  of  Herodias. 

1  So  Schuerer,  "  Jewish  People,"  div,  II,  vol.  II,  p.  25.  SoUertinsky 
{Journal  of  Theol.  Studies,  I,  507)  shows  that  in  regard  to  Herod  Antipas 
we  are  bound  to  consider  Josephus's  statements  with  care.  Cf.  Tasker 
on  John  the  Baptist,  in  "Hastings's  One  Volume  Dictionary." 

2  Mark  6  :  21. 


CHAPTER  IX 

GLOOM    * 

"Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or  look  we  for  another?" 

(Matt.  11:2). 

1 .  The  Clouds  of  Doubt. — John  had  been  carried  to 
Machserus  a  prisoner/  He  was  bound  in  prison.^ 
We  do  not  know  what  John  thought  of  this  sudden 
checking  of  his  work  as  he  went  up  the  lonely  bridle 
path  that  led  up  the  only  side  of  the  heights  of  Ma- 
chaerus  that  was  at  all  accessible.  He  doubtless 
knew  that  it  was  the  bitter  hatred  of  Herodias  that 
was  primarily  responsible  for  his  arrest.  How  long 
would  he  be  kept  in  confinement  here?  It  is  one  of 
the  comforts  of  life  that  we  do  not  always  know  what 
is  ahead  of  us.  As  we  go  into  the  darkness  we  become 
accustomed  to  it.  It  is  a  mercy  not  always  to  know 
how  near  the  darkness  is  nor  how  black  it  will  be  nor 
how  hopeless  we  shall  feel.  Edersheim^  imagines  the 
Baptist  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  and  looking 
westward.  He  is  three  thousand  eight  hundred  feet 
above  the  Dead  Sea.  Beneath  him  lies  the  Jordan, 
hallowed  with  blessed  memories  of  repentance,  con- 
fession and  baptismal  vows.  He  has  seen  the  light  of  a 
new  life  shine  in  many  faces  there.     Memories  of  his 

«  Mark  6  :  17.  *  Ibid. 

s  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  pp.  660  f. 

195 


196  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

preaching  sweep  up  and  down  the  Jordan  and  back  Into 
the  wilderness  of  Judea.  He  would  think  of  the  years 
of  waiting  and  of  growth  in  the  hills.  Many  of  his  old 
haunts  could  be  seen  along  this  crag  or  that  wady. 
Yonder  to  the  south-west  is  Hebron,  and  farther  to  the 
north  lies  Bethlehem.  His  own  home  in  the  Hill  Country 
may  have  caught  his  eye;  at  least  the  general  location 
is  visible.  The  years  have  not  been  many  since  his 
glad  childhood  days  in  the  hills.  John  is  now  only 
some  thirty-two  or  thirty-three  years  old.  Zacharias 
and  Elizabeth  have  not  lived  to  see  their  son  a  prisoner, 
but  he  is  not  ashamed.  He  is  a  prisoner  for  truth 
and  righteousness,  for  loyalty  to  duty,  for  fidelity  to 
man  and  to  God.  Perhaps  he  casts  another  glance 
upon  the  Jordan.  There  was  the  spot  where  he  had 
baptized  Jesus;  where  he  had  seen  the  vision  of  the 
descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  like  a  dove;  where  he  had 
heard  the  voice  of  God  proclaim  Jesus  as  his  Beloved 
Son.  Farther  up  on  this  side  of  Jordan  was  Bethany, 
where  he  had  twice  seen  and  identified  Jesus  as  the 
Lamb  of  God,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah  that  was 
to  come.  It  was  a  comfort  to  John  to  know  that  he 
had  lived  to  see  the  actual  coming  of  the  Messiah. 
That  was  the  goal  of  his  life.  He  had  not  lived  in 
vain.  His  words  had  come  true.  He  was  vindicated 
before  men  as  the  Herald  of  the  Messiah.  He  had 
done  his  duty  in  denouncing  Herod  and  Herodias. 
Prophets  before  him  had  won  disfavor  by  their  cour- 
age and  loyalty  to  truth.  There  was  Nathan,  there 
was  Elijah,  there  was  Jeremiah,  there  was  Daniel. 
John  was  determined  to  be  a  man,  come  what  may. 


GLOOM  197 

God  ruled  and  he  was  in  God's  work.  Besides,  the 
Messiah  himself  was  now  on  earth,  and  he  was  the 
Messiah's  Forerunner. 

So  John  was  led  down  into  one  of  the  dungeons  of 
the  castle.  There  was  no  trial,  for  Herod's  will  was 
law  in  such  matters.  There  was  no  chance  of  escape, 
nor  would  escape  have  amounted  to  anything  in  the 
temper  of  Herod  Antipas  and  his  wife.  John  was 
not  wholly  cut  off  from  the  outside  world.  Herod  and 
Herodias  came  and  went  and  frequently  sent  for  John 
to  come  up  to  the  upper  rooms  of  the  castle  where  he 
"  heard  him  gladly."  ^  At  such  times  John  doubtless 
caught  a  brief  glimpse  of  the  outside  world  through 
openings  in  the  castle  walls.  John  came  to  exercise 
a  curious  power^  over  Herod,  but  not  over  Herodias. 
"  It  is  a  sign,  such  as  has  no  parallel,  of  John's  great- 
ness, of  the  impressions  he  could  produce  in  the  soul 
of  this  not  merely  weak,  but  characterless  man;  of  his 
power  to  awaken  whatever  nobility,  whatever  serious 
struggle  of  good  against  evil  was  possible  in  such  a 
case,  a  power  which  the  Man  of  God  himself  could 
bring  to  bear  on  the  very  stones  of  the  wilderness. 
Thus,  then,  alarm  and  irresolution,  conscious  guilt  and 
esteem  worked  together  to  secure  the  Baptist  his  life 
for  a  while  longer,  until  the  rancorous  woman,  whose 
removal  John  demanded,  by  stealth  obtained  the  goal 
which  her  tempestuous  wrath  "  had  striven  in  vain  to 
reach."  ^  It  was  then  a  duel  between  John  and  Hero- 
dias, if  one  may  so  say.    Geike'*  understands  the  words 

1  Mark  6  :  20.  2  Mark  6  :  19  f. 

3  Keim,  "Jesus  of  Nazara,"  vol.  II,  p.  345. 
*  "Life  and  Words  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  420. 


198  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  Jesus  in  Matt.  17  :  12  ("And  they  knew  him  not, 
but  did  unto  him  whatsoever  they  would")  to  mean 
that  Herod  and  Herodias  mistreated  John  in  all  sorts 
of  ways.  The  words  "point  to  torture,  insult,  and 
ill-treatment.  The  spirit  that  called  for  the  blind 
Samson  to  be  brought  from  his  prison  to  make  sport 
before  the  Philistine  lords,  was  still  in  full  vigor." 
The  words  of  themselves^  are  capable  of  that  meaning, 
and  certainly  Herodias  is  capable  of  anything  mean. 
But  the  usual  application  among  expositors  is  to  the 
death  of  John,  the  final  outcome  rather  than  a  long 
process  of  torture.  Mark^  expressly  says  that  Herod 
kept  John  safe,  but  that  after  all  means  only  safe  from 
death,  not  from  insult  at  the  hands  of  Herodias.  John 
doubtless  knew  every  moment  that  Herodias  watched 
or  had  watched  his  every  movement.^ 

John  had  one  crumb  of  comfort.  His  disciples 
were  allowed  to  come  and  see  him.*  The  disciples  of 
John  did  not  at  once  disband.  They  are  doubtless 
dazed  by  the  blow  that  has  come  to  the  Master;  some 
of  them  may  have  felt  that  they  were  justified  in  the 
complaint  that  they  had  made  to  him  about  the 
greater  success  of  Jesus;  they  may  have  imagined  that 
somehow  Jesus  was  partly  responsible  for  the  sad 
predicament  of  John.  It  had  all  turned  out  worse 
than  they  had  feared.  Jesus  was  the  popular  hero 
and  was  now  in  the  full  tide  of  success  in  his  Galilean 
ministry.  Many  of  the  disciples  of  John  had  already 
gone  to  Jesus  with  the  advice  and  approval  of  John. 

'  aXXa  kitoiy]<Tav  kv  avTu>  oaa  vj&iKrfaav. 

2  6  :  20.  '3  Mark  6  :  19.  «  Luke  7  :  18. 


GLOOM  199 

Now  that  John's  voice  is  no  longer  heard  along  the 
Jordan,  the  crowds  have  all  flocked  to  Galilee  to  hear 
the  new^  prophet  there;  one  with  an  even  more  wonder- 
ful message  than  John  had;  one  who  does  marvellous 
cures ;  one  whom  many  claim  to  be  the  very  Messsiah 
himself.  A  feeling  of  bitterness  would  gradually  come 
into  the  hearts  of  some  of  John's  disciples.  They  could 
pray,  for  John  had  his  disciples  to  pray.^  John  taught 
his  disciples  to  fast  as  the  Pharisees  did.  Perhaps  at 
first  unconsciously  the  disciples  of  John,  forgetful  or 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  the  Pharisees  were  partly  re- 
sponsible for  John's  arrest,  were  drawn  to  take  sides 
with  the  Pharisees  against  the  disciples  of  Jesus. 
True,  John  had  denounced  the  Pharisees,  but  here 
was  Jesus  with  his  disciples  attending  a  great  feast  of 
publicans  and  sinners  in  the  house  of  a  prominent  pub- 
lican named  Levi.^  John  would  probably  not^  have 
attended  a  feast  like  that  anywhere,  most  assuredly 
not  in  such  a  place  and  in  such  company.  The  Phar- 
isees had  made  complaint  to  the  disciples  of  Jesus* 
and  the  disciples  of  John  probably  sympathized  with 
the  criticism.  At  any  rate  it  did  look  unseemly  to 
them,  all  this  levity  on  the  part  of  Jesus  (the  Messiah, 
John's  Messiah)  and  some  of  John's  old  disciples, 
while  John  himself  languished  in  the  dungeon  at 
Machaerus.  Besides,  it  may  have  been  on  one  of  the 
weekly  fast  days  that  Levi's  feast  took  place. ^  If  so, 
that  made   it  seem   to   them   a   real   scandal.     The 


1  Luke  11:1.  «  Luke  5  :  29;  Mark  2  :  15;  Matt.  9  :  10. 

3  Matt.  11:  18;  Luke  7:33. 

*  Matt.  9  :  11;  Mark  2  :  16;  Luke  5  :  30. 

6  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  663. 


200  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

stricter  Jews  fasted  twice  a  week.*  The  disciples  of 
John  naturally  kept  up  his  ascetic  practices.  It  is 
very  likely,  therefore,  that  the  feast  of  Matthew  was 
on  one  of  the  nights  after  a  fast  had  been  begun  by 
the  disciples  of  John  and  of  the  Pharisees.^  Hence  the 
disciples  of  John  feel  emboldened  and  justified  in 
coming  to  Jesus,  even  in  company  with  the  Pharisees,^ 
to  make  complaint  against  him  and  his  disciples  for 
not  fasting.  The  Pharisees  are  doubtless  glad  of  a 
chance  to  drive  the  wedge  in  betw^een  the  disciples  of 
John  and  those  of  Jesus  so  as  to  make  a  wider  separa- 
tion. Swete'*  thinks  that  Mark  shows  that  it  was 
scribes,  not  disciples  of  John  or  of  the  Pharisees,  who 
made  complaint.  But  this  is  forcing  the  matter  un- 
duly in  the  face  of  Matt.  2 :  14,  where  it  is  expressly 
said  that  the  disciples  of  John  came  to  Jesus  about 
the  matter.  The  reply  of  Jesus  seems  like  an  echo 
of  the  last  public  testimony  of  the  Baptist,  when  he 
had  called  Jesus  the  bridegroom  and  himself  the  friend 
of  the  bridegroom.^  We  have  no  means  of  knowing 
whether  Jesus  had  heard  of  this  testimony  of  the  Bap- 
tist other  than  what  occurs  here.  It  is  natural  to 
think  from  this  language  of  Jesus  that  he  had  been 
informed  of  the  Baptist's  noble  words.  There  is  no 
reflection  in  Christ's  language  on  the  Baptist,  not  the 
slightest.  It  is  some  of  the  disciples  of  John  (not  John 
himself)  who  have  aligned  themselves  with  Pharisaism 
in  opposition  to  Jesus.  John  had  evidently  not  made 
fasting  an  essential  matter  at  all.     We  have  no  word 

'  Luke  18  :  12.  2  Swete  on  Mark,  2 :  18. 

3  Mark  2  :  18.     Of.  Matt.  9  :  14;  Luke  5  :  33. 

*  In  loco.  6  John  3  :  29. 


GLOOM  201 

from  him  on  the  subject.  He  was  still  in  the  Jewish 
dispensation.  It  was  not  for  John  to  furnish  the  new 
bottle,  the  new  garment.  That  was  for  the  Messiah. 
It  is  ceremonial  Judaism  that  Jesus  calls  outworn, 
not  John's  message  about  repentance  and  real  right- 
eousness. So  Jesus  insisted  in  the  presence  of  these 
disciples  of  John  on  the  right  of  his  disciples  as  "  the 
sons  of  the  bride-chamber"  to  feast  instead  of  fasting. 
The  time  for  fasting  will  come  to  them,  real  fasting  and 
sorrow,  when  the  bridegroom  is  no  longer  with  them, 
for  he  will  be  taken  away.^  Was  Jesus  thinking  of 
what  Herod  had  already  done  to  John,  who  had  been 
spirited  away  to  Machserus?  Is  he  delicately  saying 
to  John's  disciples  that  they  have  good  reason  to  fast  ? 
He  was  also  thinking  of  his  own  end,  already  foreseen. 
They  will  do  unto  Jesus  as  they  have  done  unto  John. 
"  John  heard  in  the  prison  the  work  of  the  Christ."  ^ 
Luke^  says  :  "  And  the  disciples  of  John  told  him  all 
these  things."  We  are  thus  under  obligation  to  Mat- 
thew and  Luke*  for  a  glimpse  of  the  intercommunica- 
tion that  was  allowed  to  go  on  between  John  and  his 
disciples.  There  was  much  to  tell.  Jesus  was  using 
John's  text :  "  The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  at  hand  :  repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the 
gospel."  ^  At  other  times  he  used  John's  identical 
language  :  "  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand."  ®    Events  had  moved  rapidly  during  the 

»Matt.  9 :  15;  Mark  2  :  20;  Luke  5 :  36. 

»  Matt.  11:2.  87:18. 

<  To  quote  (the  Logia)  the  common  non-Markan  source  so  often  used 
In  Matthew  and  Luke.  Of.  Allen  on  Matthew;  Harnack,  "Sayings-  of 
Jesus";  Hawkins,  " Hor®  Synopticae." 

6  Mark  1 :  14.  e  Matt.  4  :  17. 


202  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

months  that  John  lay  in  prison/  Jesus  had  wrought 
many  wonderful  miracles.  He  cast  out  demons,  who 
went  out  crying:  "Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,"  but 
"he  suffered  them  not  to  speak,  because  they  knew 
that  he  was  the  Christ."  ^  He  had  made  a  tour  of 
Galilee  and  "there  followed  him  great  multitudes 
from  Galilee  and  Decapolis  and  Jerusalem  and  Judea 
and  from  beyond  Jordan."  ^  It  surpassed  the  excit- 
ing days  of  John's  great  ministry.  Nobody  ever  saw 
anything  like  it.  The  crowds  were  so  great  at  times 
that  Jesus  had  to  escape  to  the  desert  places  to  get 
away  and  pray.  He  could  no  more  openly  enter  into 
a  city."*  The  Pharisees  were  up  in  arms  against  Jesus 
for  claiming  to  be  the  Son  of  man  with  power  to  for- 
give sins,  but  the  people  were  amazed  ^  at  his  miracles 
and  glorified  God  :  "  We  never  saw  it  on  this  fashion." 
A  sort  of  fear  fell  on  many.^  The  more  the  Pharisees 
opposed  Jesus,  the  closer  he  seemed  to  draw  to  the 
publicans  and  sinners,  and  actually  feasted  with  them 
in  the  house  of  a  publican.'  This  was  more  than  many 
of  John's  own  disciples  could  stand,  and  on  his  behalf 
they  had  joined  with  the  Pharisees  against  the  absence 
of  fasting  on  the  part  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus.*  They 
did  not  quite  understand  the  comments  of  Jesus,  but 
perhaps  John  would.  The  Pharisees  had  gone  to  the 
point  of  saying :  "  By  the  prince  of  the  demons  he 
casts  out  demons."  ®  In  Jerusalem  there  had  been  an 
open  breach  between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees.  They 
had  accused  him  of  equality  with  the  Father,  of  being 

1  ev  Tw  Sea-fioiTTjpio).  2  Luke  4  :  41.  3  Matt.  4  :  25. 

*  Mark  1  :  45.       '  ^  Mark  2  :  10-12.  «  Luke  5  :  26. 

7  Matt.  9  :  10:  Mark  2  :  15.       «  Mark  2  :  18.  »  Matt.  9  :  34. 


GLOOM  203 

a  Sabbath-breaker  because  he  healed  an  impotent  man 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  had  actually  tried  to  kill  Jesus/ 
The  address  of  Jesus  on  the  occasion  had  left  them 
speechless  with  rage  because  of  the  lofty  claims^  made 
by  Jesus,  but  he  had  made  a  beautiful  reference  to 
John  himself^  in  his  rebuke  of  the  Pharisees.  He 
called  John  a  witness  to  the  truth  and  the  lamp  that 
burns  and  shines.  But  Jesus  had  stuck  to  his  posi- 
tion on  the  Sabbath,  and  on  two  successive  Sabbaths 
in  Galilee  had  controversy  with  the  Pharisees  about 
his  freedom  from  their  rules  for  the  observance  of  the 
day.  Matters  came  to  such  a  pitch  that  the  Phari- 
sees actually  conspired  with  the  Herodians^  to  put 
Jesus  to  death.  If  things  went  on  this  way  no  one 
could  tell  what  the  outcome  would  be.  But  so  far 
Jesus  was  triumphant.  He  was  master  of  the  multi- 
tude. He  had  done  remarkable  and  noteworthy 
things.  He  had  chosen  twelve  men,  half  of  them 
from  among  John's  old  disciples,  to  be  a  select  band 
to  be  with  him  all  the  time,  on  his  preaching  tours  and 
always.  On  that  occasion  Jesus  had  delivered  the 
most  remarkable  sermon  that  people  had  ever  heard.^ 
He  had  outlined  a  policy  about  righteousness  in  the 
kingdom  that  was  a  stinging  rebuke  to  the  mere  cere- 
monial righteousness^  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
It  reminded  John's  disciples  of  his  own  denunciation^ 
of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  down  by  the  Jordan. 
On  the  whole,  the  teaching  of  Jesus  was  an  expansion 
of  that  of  John.     From  time  to  time  various  disciples 

»  John  5 : 10-18.  «  John  5  :  19-29.  »  John  5  :  33-35. 

*  Mark  3:6.  *  Matt.  7  :  28  f .  «  Matt.  5  :  20. 

I  Matt.  3  :  7. 


204  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  John  came  and  told  him  what  they  knew  and  what 
he  was  anxious  to  hear.  By  and  by  the  most  startling 
news  of  all  came  to  the  dungeon  in  Machserus.  Jesus 
had  raised  a  girl  who  had  apparently  been  dead.^ 
But  a  widow  w^as  going  with  her  only  son  to  bury  him 
near  Nain,  and  Jesus  stopped  the  procession  and  made 
the  corpse  sit  up  and  speak  and  gave  him  to  his 
mother.^  This  was  the  climax.  "  A  great  prophet  is 
arisen  among  us  :  and,  God  hath  visited  his  people." 
This  news  came  to  John  in  addition  to  all  the  rest  that 
he  had  heard.  We  are  not  told  the  spirit  in  which  the 
disciples  of  John  reported  these  things  to  John.^ 
John  heard  them  as  "the  works  of  the  Christ,"  and 
that  is  significant.  They  were  apparently  reported  to 
him  as  the  doings  of  the  Messiah,  for  "the  Christ" 
was  not  yet  a  proper  name. 

The  news  set  John  to  musing,  for  he  was  by  this 
time  in  "a  prison  mood."  ^  He  had  listened  with 
eager  interest  to  every  bit  of  new^s  about  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah.  It  was  the  one  topic  that  most  vitally  con- 
cerned him.  It  is  probably  in  the  spring-time  when 
John  hears  about  the  raising  of  the  son  of  the  widow 
of  Nain.  The  plucking  of  the  grains  of  wheat^  in 
their  hands  as  the  disciples  and  Jesus  walked  through 
the  wheat  field  shows  that  Luke  is  usually  chronologi- 
cal. If  so,  the  miracle  and  the  report  of  it  to  John^ 
followed  the  incident  in  the  wheat  fields.  We  have 
notice  in  John's  Gospel  ^  of  another  spring  apparently 
a  year  sooner  than  this,  when  Jesus  was  in  Jerusalem. 

»  Matt.  9:  22-26;  Mark  5:  35-43.  «  Luke  7  :  11-17. 

*  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.  *  Ibid. 

'Luke  6:1.  «  Luke  7  :  11-18.  'John  2:  13. 


GLOOM  205 

Then  John  the  Baptist  was  still  at  liberty,  and  preach- 
ing, though  he  was  arrested  not  long  afterward.  We 
do  not  know  at  what  point  of  the  late  spring  or  early 
summer^  the  disciples  of  John  brought  him  this  mes- 
sage which  so  stirred  him.  At  any  rate  we  may  think 
of  John  as  having  been  in  prison  about  a  year.  What 
a  change  this  year  has  wrought  in  the  fortunes  and 
feelings  of  John!  Broadus^  has  ably  pictured  John's 
situation  :  "  He  had  indeed  been  accustomed  to  com- 
parative solitude  for  years  *in  the  deserts'  (Luke 
1 :  80) ;  but  at  that  time  life  was  before  him  with  its 
high  hopes,  and  he  doubtless  felt  himself  to  be  pre- 
paring for  a  great  mission,  the  nature  of  which  was 
gradually  growing  clearer  to  his  mind.  Then  came 
some  eighteen  months  of  public  labors,  during  which 
he  was  attended  by  vast  crowds,  and  his  ardent  nat- 
ure must  have  revelled  in  the  high  excitement  of  his 
work.  And  now  he  is  shut  up,  he,  a  *son  of  the 
wilderness,'  in  one  of  the  deep,  dark,  and  frightfully 
hot  dungeons  of  Machserus,  deprived  of  fresh  air  and 
bodily  exercise,  of  cheerful  mental  employment  and 
opportunity  to  do  good,  and  dependent  for  any  future 
opportunities  on  the  caprice  of  a  weak  king  and  a 
ctuel  woman.  As  Elijah  sometimes  got  sadly  out  of 
heart,  so  John,  who  in  many  respects  closely  resem- 
bled him,  would  be  likely  to  grow  despondent  in  this 
season  of  enforced  idleness  and  uncertain  danger. 
Compare  the  occasional  depression  of  Moses  also." 
The  very  miracle  at  Nain  would  remind  John  "of 
Elijah  and  the  widow  of  Sarepta;   of  Elisha  and  the 

»  Probably  A.  D.  28.  2  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  235. 


206  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

lady  of  the  not-far-distant  Shunem.  They,  too,  the 
greatest  of  the  prophets,  had  restored  to  lonely  women 
their  dead  only  sons.'*  ^  John  has  brooded  long  over 
his  own  fate  and  over  the  work  of  Jesus.  What  is 
his  frame  of  mind?  It  would  have  been  a  miracle 
indeed  if  no  doubts  had  come  to  him  during  the  weary, 
dreary  months  of  his  imprisonment.  The  clouds  had 
come  and  gone  with  John,  and  then  they  came  again. 
It  is  a  bitter  thing  for  any  man  to  feel  that  his  work  in 
life  is  over.^  "  We  are  in  spirit  by  the  mount  of  God, 
and  about  to  witness  the  breaking  of  a  terrible  storm. 
It  is  one  that  uproots  the  great  trees  and  rends  the 
rocks;  and  we  shall  watch  it  solemnly,  earnestly,  as 
with  bared  head — or,  like  Elijah,  with  face  wrapt  in 
mantle.''  ^  Most  of  the  time  John  was  alone  with  his 
thoughts.  On  the  whole  this  may  have  been  best. 
The  disciples  of  John  did  not  fully  understand  him 
and  were  in  danger  of  fossilization.^  John  himself 
had  to  face  doubts  about  them,  about  himself,  about 
Jesus  that  rose  in  that  dungeon.  "  Like  serpents  that 
crept  out  of  its  walls,  they  would  uncoil  and  raise 
their  heads  with  horrible  hissing."  ^  Had  some  hor- 
rible mistake  been  made  after  all?  Was  it  a  night- 
mare? Was  his  life  on  the  Jordan  a  dream?  Was 
anything  real  or  worth  while  ?  If  Jesus  was  the  Mes- 
siah, why  did  he  leave  him  to  languish  in  prison? 
If  he  could  raise  the  dead,  he  could  set  him  free. 
There  was  but  one  way  to  settle  the  matter.     It  was 

1  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ."  vol.  I,  p.  286. 

2  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  289. 
sEdersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  666. 

*  Ibid.  6  /bjTrf.,  p.  667. 


GLOOM  207 

to  appeal  to  Jesus  himself.     John  called  two  of  his 
disciples  and  sent  them  to  Jesus. 

2.  The  Cry  from  the  Dungeon. — John  "sent  by  his 
disciples  and  said  unto'*  Jesus:  "Art  thou  he  that 
cometh,  or  look  we  for  another?"  ^  The  message  of 
John  was  borne  directly  to  Jesus.  John  thus  spoke 
again  to  Jesus.  Once  the  Pharisees  had  sent  a  com- 
mittee of  Sadducees  from  Jerusalem  to  John  in 
Bethany  to  learn  if  he  claimed  to  be  the  Coming  One. 
They  had  put  the  sharp  question  to  John  :  "Thou, 
who  art  thou  ? "  ^  So  now  in  John's  turn  he  sends  a 
committee  to  Jesus  with  the  same  sharp  emphasis  on 
"  thou."  The  question  was  probably  in  Aramaic,  but 
even  so  the  Greek  translation  may  be  assumed  to  be 
accurate  in  tone  and  emphasis.  The  two  messengers 
are  abrupt,  almost  curt,  in  their  approach  to  Jesus  : 
"  John  the  Baptist  hath  sent  us  unto  thee,  saying.  Art 
thou  he  that  cometh,  or  look  we  for  another  ?  "  ^  The 
tone  seems  apologetic  as  much  as  to  say,  "  We  should 
not  have  come  except  that  John,  our  master,  has  sent 
us.  We  do  not  wish  to  interrupt  you  or  to  interfere, 
but  this  is  the  message.  W^  await  your  reply."  We 
are  probably  justified  in  feeling  that  these  two  dis- 
ciples of  John  were  not  particularly  friendly  to  Jesus. 


'  Matt.  11:3;  Luke  7  :  19.  2i>  el  6  epxoju.evo?  if  erepov  irpocrSoKlofjiev;  The 
verb  may  be  either  the  futuristic  present  indicative  or  the  deliberative 
present  subjunctive.  More  likely  the  latter.  In  Luke  some  MSS.  (A.  D.) 
read  aWov,  but  erepov  is  the  correct  text.  The  idea  is  probably  a  different 
kind  of  a  Messiah,  not  merely  another  (aAAov)  of  the  same  kind  as  Jesus. 
Note  the  emphasis  on  2u.  Matthew  and  Luke  preserve  the  logion  in  the 
same  form. 

2  2u  Ti's  el;  John  1  :  19. 

3  WH  read  aWov  here  following  B,  but  erepov  Is  doubtless  correct  as 
it  is  supported  by  n  DL  H  33.  Too  much  is  not  to  be  made  of  the  point, 
since  erepov  may  mean  only  a  "second,"  not  "different." 


208  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

They  doubtless  felt  much  that  they  would  have  en- 
joyed saying  by  way  of  reproach  to  Jesus  for  the  ap- 
parent indifference  which  he  had  manifested  toward 
John  and  his  fate.  Jesus,  they  mean  to  say,  had  sent 
no  word  of  cheer  to  John.  It  is  John  who  conde- 
scends to  inquire  of  Jesus,  the  man  whom  John  had 
baptized  and  introduced  as  the  Coming  One.  Now 
Jesus  is  having  all  the  glory  and  John  all  the  woe. 
It  is  enough  to  make  John  lose  faith  in  Jesus.  As  for 
themselves  they  had  already  done  so.  The  disciples 
of  John  were  right  when  they  protested  to  John  for 
his  excess  of  kindness  to  Jesus,  who  had  swept  into  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruit  of  John's  toil,  and  was  edging 
John  off  to  one  side  and  almost  squeezing  him  out  of 
the  kingdom  which  John  was  the  first  to  announce. 
The  last  words  that  John  had  spoken  about  Jesus  were 
of  the  most  laudatory  nature,  the  very  acme  of  eulogy 
for  Jesus  and  of  self-abnegation  for  John.  It  was  all 
right  for  John  to  be  humble  and  to  feel  that  way,  but 
they  had  their  opinion  of  Jesus  for  taking  it  all  to  him- 
self at  the  expense  of  John.  If  he  could  work  so  many 
miracles,  why  did  he  not  do  one  for  John  ?  John  had 
done  everything  for  Jesus.  What  had  he  done  for 
John?  And  now  John  had  been  driven  in  despera- 
tion to  send  them  to  Jesus  for  one  word  of  comfort, 
for  one  ray  of  light  in  the  darkness  of  his  dungeon. 
They  had  come  out  of  their  love  for  John,  not  because 
they  loved  Jesus  or  expected  any  good  to  come  out  of 
the  inquiry.  As  for  themselves,  they  would  have  died 
in  the  dungeon  in  independence  and  self-respect  rather 
than  send  this  embassy.     In  their  opinion  John  was 


GLOOM  209 

just  as  good  as  Jesus,  if  not  better.  It  was  John  who 
had  had  the  courage  to  denounce  the  sins  of  Herod 
and  Herodias.  It  was  John  who  had  inaugurated  the 
new  day  in  Israel.  The  disciples  of  Jesus  had  simply 
copied  John's  baptism  and  were  not  so  pious  as  the 
disciples  of  John  since  they  led  a  life  of  feasting  and 
did  not  fast  and  did  not  know  how  to  pray.  But  they 
had  come  because  John  wished  it.  And  here  they 
were.  What  did  Jesus  have  to  say  in  defence  of  himself 
under  all  the  circumstances  ?  They  would  like  to  know. 
But  surely  John  himself  did  not  mean  all  this, 
though  probably  the  two  disciples  did.  Indeed,  the 
disciples  may  have  spoken  with  John  and  given  their 
opinion  to  him  before  starting.  The  embassy  is 
clearly  sent  on  John's  own  impulse,  "  calling  unto  him 
two  of  his  disciples."  ^  But  this  was  done  after  "  the 
disciples  of  John  told  him  all  of  these  things."  ^  Some 
of  John's  disciples  had  opened  their  hearts  to  him 
in  the  dungeon  about  "  the  works  of  the  Christ."  ^ 
What  they  said  is  conjecture,  but  we  know  the  temper 
of  the  disciples  of  John  who  had  come  to  him  in  the 
day  of  John's  power  with  words  about  the  rising  star 
of  Jesus.'*  It  is  hardly  likely  that  all  of  John's  dis- 
ciples were  kindly  disposed  to  Jesus  now  that  John's 
star  had  set.  In  fact,  we  know  that  some  of  them  had 
actually  lined  up  with  the  Pharisees  against  Jesus.^  It 
is  not  straining  the  situation  at  all  to  suppose  that 
some,  if  not  all,  of  the  disciples  of  John  who  brought 
news  of  the  ever-widening  power  and  fame  of  Jesus 

»  Luke  7  :  19.  2  Luke  2  :  18.  »  Matt.  11 :  2. 

^  John  3  :  26.  6  Mark  2  :  18. 


210  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

betrayed  a  tone  of  disappointment,  a  tinge  of  resent- 
ment against  Jesus  because  he  had  displaced  John  in 
favor  and  prestige.  Not  that  John  did  not  still  have 
friends.  He  did  have  them,  but  a  real  breach  had 
come,  as  they  had  foreseen  while  John  was  free,  and 
now  those  who  were  most  loyal  to  John  held  aloof 
from  Jesus  and  let  him  go  his  way.  It  is  natural  for 
one's  friends  to  color  a  situation  to  please  the  friend 
in  sore  distress.  If  a  pastor  has  a  division  in  his 
church,  his  party  bear  him  reports  favorable  to  him 
and  derogatory  to  the  other  side.  It  was  inevitable 
that  talk  of  this  nature  came  to  John's  ears  in  the 
dungeon.  When  it  came  before,  John  had  nobly 
brushed  it  all  aside. ^  Could  he  do  it  now  after  all  that 
had  happened  in  the  past  year?  Perhaps  these  dis- 
ciples of  John  had  suggested  to  him  that  the  only 
hope  of  his  rescue  lay  in  Jesus  and  they  did  not  be- 
lieve that  he  cared  enough  for  John  to  do  anything  in 
his  behalf.^  The  very  narrowness  and  unprogressive- 
ness  of  John's  disciples  may  have  been  one  of  the  ele- 
ments in  John's  decision  to  appeal  to  Jesus. ^  John 
could  not  now  handle  the  situation  as  he  had  done 
before.  It  was  pitiful  to  think  that  John's  disciples 
should  drift  away  from  Jesus,  even  become  hostile  to 
him.  Chrysostom^  long  ago  suggested  that  John 
made  this  inquiry  for  the  benefit  of  his  disciples. 
The  trouble  with  the  form  in  which  this  explanation 
of  the  message  of  John  has  been  held  is  that  it  has 

»  John  3  :  27  ff. 

2  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  661.  '  Ibid.,  p.  667. 

<  See  "Oxford  Library  of  the  Fathers,"  X,  p.  267.  Practically  all  the 
fathers  held  this  view  except  Tertullian.  Cf.  Plummer  on  Luke  and 
Bruce  on  Luke.     So  Luther,  Calvin,  Beza,  Grotius,  Bengel,  etc. 


GLOOM  211 

been  offered  as  a  substitute  for  the  idea  that  John 
himself  was  in  doubt.  It  was  thought  to  be  discred- 
itable to  John  to  admit  that  he  was  in  real  doubt. 
Hence  he  asked  for  the  benefit  of  his  disciples.  But 
the  two  views  are  by  no  means  exclusive.  It  was  en- 
tirely possible  for  John  to  wish  Jesus  to  help  his  dis- 
ciples for  the  very  reason  that  John  himself  was  unable 
to  do  so.  If  Jesus  would  help  John,  then  John  could 
give  his  disciples  the  guidance  which  they  needed, 
could  heal  the  breach  that  had  been  made.  We  may 
admit,  therefore,  that  desire  to  be  of  service  to  his  dis- 
ciples who  had  revealed  to  John  their  own  anguish  of 
heart  was  one  of  the  motives  that  prompted  John's 
inquiry.  We  do  not  see  that  it  was  the  only  one  nor 
necessarily  the  main  purpose  of  John.  But  any  such 
notion  as  that  of  Theophylact  that  John  merely  "af- 
fects to  inquire"  or  of  Euthymius  Zigabenus  that  John 
is  "in  pretence  inquiring"  may  be  dismissed  as  wholly 
unworthy  of  John  or  of  the  dignity  and  seriousness  of 
the  situation.^  John  may  have  had  (probably  did  have) 
an  interest  in  the  attitude  of  his  disciples,  but  it  was 
a  real  interest,  not  a  make-believe  affair  like  that. 

The  view  of  Strauss  may  be  unconditionally  re- 
jected. "Strauss  cuts  the  knot  by  denying  the  his- 
toricity of  the  earlier  narratives,  especially  the  Fourth 
Gospel's,  which  represent  John  as  recognizing  and 
announcing  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  He  does  not 
now  begin  to  doubt  whether  after  all  Jesus  is  really 
the  Messiah,  but  rather  begins  to  wonder  if  he  may 
not  be  the  Messiah.     *We  have  here  not  a  decaying, 

>  Broadus,  "Commentary  on  Matthew,"  p.  236. 


212  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

but  a  growing  certainty.'  "  *  This  "  budding  faith 
hypothesis  is  based  on  too  sceptical  a  view  as  to  the 
historic  value  of  even  the  synoptical  accounts  of  John's 
early  relations  with  Jesus."  ^  Such  a  wilful  setting 
aside  of  the  sources  of  information  makes  historical 
study  impossible  and  nugatory.  This  theory  sets  the 
pyramid  on  its  apex.  It  may  be  safely  thrown  to  the 
rubbish  heap. 

We  may  assume  then  that  John  himself  was  person- 
ally involved  in  the  inquiry  because  he  also  needed 
help.  Was  John  in  doubt  or  was  he  merely  impatient  ? 
Let  us  take  the  question  of  doubt  first.  "  Many  have 
thought  it  wholly  inconsistent  with  John's  position 
and  previous  testimony  to  suppose  that  he  now  felt 
personally  the  slightest  doubt."  ^  But  that  is  the 
natural  import  of  John's  message,  and  it  is  best  to 
take  it  so  unless  the  difficulties  are  insuperable.  "  We 
need  not  suppose  that  he  at  any  time  wholly  lost  his 
persuasion  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  but  only  that 
he  became  harassed  by  difficulties  that  he  could  not 
solve."  ^  It  was  not  psychologically  impossible  for 
John  to  have  lapsed  at  times  into  doubt.  He  was  in 
a  real  Doubting  Castle  if  ever  there  was  one.  It  is 
true  what  Herrick  says  : 

"Stone  walls  do  not  a  prison  make, 
Nor  iron  bars  a  cage; 
Minds  innocent  and  quiet  take 
That  for  a  hermitage." 

'  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  224. 

*  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco.  Strauss  is  followed  by  Keim,  Weizsacker, 
Holtzmann  in  his  "  Hand-Commentar"  ("beginnende  Disposition  zum 
Glauben  an  Jesu  Messianitat."  For  a  complete  answer  to  Strauss,  see 
Hase,  "Geschichte  Jesu,"  sec.  39,  ed.  1891. 

'Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  236.  *  Ibid.,  p.  237. 


GLOOM  213 

But  it  is  very  difficult  for  one  to  be  uninfluenced  by 
his  environment,  to  hold  one's  self  to  the  highest  all  the 
time.  We  can  point  to  the  experience  of  Jesus  him- 
self in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  ^  when  under  the 
stress  of  sore  temptation  Jesus  with  strong  crying  and 
tears^  begged  that  he  might  escape  the  hour,  the 
dreadful  hour  before  him,  when  he  should  hang  upon 
the  Cross  for  the  sin  of  the  world.  If  it  seems  natural 
that  Jesus  had  this  instinctive  shrinking  from  the 
terrible  task  before  him,  John  may  be  pardoned  if 
his  mind  became  beclouded  on  the  subject  whether 
after  all  Jesus  was  proving  to  be  the  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  as  he  had  declared  ^ 
him  to  be.  Indeed,  as  it  was  now,  things  seemed  to 
be  turned  round.  John  was  the  sufferer,  while  Jesus 
was  "  the  idol  of  the  populace,  the  hero  of  the  hour."  ^ 
This  was  John's  highest  conception  of  the  Messiah, 
the  sacrificial  work.  But  he  had  also  depicted  him  as 
a  reformer.  The  axe  was  lying  at  the  root  of  the  trees 
ready  for  the  Messiah  to  wield  it.^  The  Messiah  will 
take  the  fan  in  his  hand  "and  he  will  thoroughly 
cleanse  his  threshing-floor;  and  he  will  gather  his 
wheat  into  the  garner,  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn  up 
with  unquenchable  fire."  ^  The  mighty  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  John  had  foreseen  and  predicted^ 
had  not  yet  come  in  the  full  sense  of  John's  idea.  We 
need  not  say  that  John  lapsed  while  in  prison  to  the 
political  conception  of  the  Messiah  held  by  the  Jews 
in  general,  "  that  Jesus  for  a  time  at  least  raised  John's 

I  Mark  14  :  35  f.  2  Heb.  5:7.  »  John  1 :  29. 

*  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  225. 

6  Matt.  3  :  10.  e  Matt.  3  :  12.  7  Matt.  3  :  11. 


214  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

mind  to  the  height  of  his  own  insight;  that  when  the 
influence  of  Jesus  was  withdrawn,  John  relapsed  to 
his  own  familiar  modes  of  thought."  *  He  did  have 
the  heightened  insight,  but  it  is  rather  too  easy  a  way 
out  of  the  difficulty  to  suppose  that  this  was  due 
merely  to  the  presence  of  Jesus.  He  had  insight  be- 
fore he  saw  Jesus.  It  was  raised  by  Jesus,  but  it  re- 
mained high  after  he  no  longer  saw  Jesus.  The  doubt 
of  John  here  does  come  as  a  surprise,  but  we  are  to 
remember  that  we  have  had  no  word  from  John  for  a 
year.  The  natural  depression  due  to  his  surround- 
ings had  brought  him  to  a  pessimistic  frame  of  mind. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  could  not  see  that  Jesus  was 
as  yet  either  a  reformer  or  a  sufferer.^  He  could  not 
see  that  the  Cross  was  coming  to  Jesus,  and  that  from 
the  Cross  Jesus  would  draw  all  men  to  him  and  so 
uplift  and  reform  the  race.  The  prophetic  passion 
may  have  cooled  in  John  at  this  time,  but  Elijah  sat 
under  the  juniper-tree  and  wished  to  die.  So  fiercely 
had  Jezebel  beset  him.  Jeremiah,  another  great 
prophet,  had  poured  out  his  soul  in  "Jeremiah"  and 
'*  Lamentations."  "  Savonarola,  and  Jerome  of  Prague, 
and  Luther  were  men  whose  courage,  like  that  of  the 
Baptist,  had  enabled  them  to  stand  unquailing  before 
angry  councils  and  threatening  kings:  who,  in  forming 
an  estimate  of  their  goodness  and  greatness,  will  add 
one  shade  of  condemnation  because  of  the  wavering 
of  the  first  and  of  the  second  in  the  prison-cells  of 
Florence  and  Constance,  or  the  phantasies  of  incipient 

•  Principal  A.  E.  Garvie,  The  Expositor,  VI,  p.  375. 
2  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  225. 


GLOOM  215 

madness  which  agitated,  In  the  castle  of  Wartburg, 
the  ardent  spirit  of  the  third?"  ^  Just  to  be  let 
alone  for  so  long  In,  this  damp,  dark,  dismal  dungeon 
was  enough  to  bring  one  to  despair.  The  fellowship 
that  John  had  with  his  disciples  now  and  then  was  a 
relief  in  one  sense,  this  occasional  glimpse  of  the  great 
world  outside;  but  from  another  point  of  view,  it  was 
like  reopening  an  old  wound.  "To  a  child  of  free- 
dom and  of  passion,  to  a  rugged,  passionate,  untamed 
spirit  like  that  of  John,  a  prison  was  worse  than 
death."  2 

It  is  possible  also  that  the  long  confinement  had  had 
an  effect  on  John's  temper.  "What  ailed  John  was 
not  so  much  a  mistaken  ideal  as  Impatience."  ^  The 
moral  isolation  of  Jesus  Is  brought  out  here  by  the 
apparent  irritability  of  John.*  Perhaps  John  felt  that 
he  could  stir  Jesus  to  more  formal  announcement  of 
himself  as  Messiah,  to  a  line  of  activity  that  would 
be  more  reassuring  to  John's  disciples  and  In  truth 
to  John  himself.^  The  Jews  had  an  idea,  many  of 
them,  that  there  would  be  a  succession  of  forerunners. 
Without  abandoning  the  conviction  that  he  was  him- 
self a  forerunner,  John  may  have  wished  to  raise  with 
Jesus  the  question  whether  he  was  himself  just  another 
forerunner  or  In  reality  the  Coming  One.^  Some 
thought  Elijah  himself  would  come  to  life,  others 
Jeremiah;  some  thought  "the  prophet"  spoken  of  by 

1  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  292. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  290.  8  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  225. 
<  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

6  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  237;  Kohler,  "Johannes  derTaufer,"  S.  166  f. 

8  "The  Coming  One"  is  the  Messiah.  Cf.  Ps.  118:26;  Dan.  7:  13; 
Mark  11:9;  Luke  13  :  35;  19  :  38;  Heb.  10  :  37.  Cf.  Plummer  on  Luke, 
in  loco. 


216  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Moses  would  come.  Most  of  those  alternatives*  had 
been  presented  to  John  himself  by  the  Jerusalem 
committee.  When  so  much  was  at  stake  and  in  the 
midst  of  so  much  perplexity  it  is  not  strange  that  John 
wished  to  have  all  uncertainty  allayed.  One  on  the 
bed  of  sickness  in  the  hour  of  death  loves  to  hear  the 
reassuring  words  which  he  had  himself  spoken  to 
others  when  in  health.  It  was  thus  a  combination  of 
influences  which  led  to  the  Baptist's  obscuration  of 
faith  and  hope. 

"  Who  listened  to  his  voice  ?  obeyed  his  cry  ? 
Only  the  echoes  which  he  made  relent 
Rang  from  their  flinty  caves,  *  Repent!   Repent!'" 

"The  Baptist's  scepticism  was  real,  but  it  was 
honest,  and  we  may  learn  from  him  how  to  manage 
our  own  doubts."  ^  Jesus  was  doing  Messianic  works, 
but  he  was  not  claiming  in  so  many  words  to  be  the 
Messiah.  Hence  John  may  have  argued  that  this 
silence  indicated  an  uncertainty  and  even  inconsist- 
ency in  the  mind  of  Jesus.^ 

To  us  it  may  seem  a  puzzle  that  at  that  crisis  in  the 
history  of  the  kingdom  of  God  the  Baptist  should 
have  been  thrown  into  prison.*  God  has  often  made 
"  his  best  and  greatest  servants  drink  to  the  very  dregs 
the  cup  of  apparent  failure."  ^  It  was  to  be  true  of 
Jesus  himself  as  John  had  dimly  foreseen  in  his  phrase 

»  John  1 :  19  ff.  *  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  239. 

»  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  160.  Edersheira  ("Life  and  Times,"  vol. 
I,  p.  668)  scores  a  good  point  when  he  says  that  the  mention  in  the  gospels 
of  the  weakness  of  John  after  his  strong  testimony  to  Jesus  is  good  evi- 
dence of  the  fidelity  of  the  picture.     It  is  drawn  from  life. 

*  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  412. 

6  Farrar,  "  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  291. 


GLOOM  217 

"the  Lamb  of  God."  It  was  true  of  Stephen,  of 
Paul.  But,  when  all  is  said,  it  may  be  seriously 
questioned  whether  a  more  noble  and  glorious  end 
could  have  befallen  John  than  the  one  which  was  his. 
The  disciples  of  John  had  already  become  suspicious 
of  Jesus.  The  prolonged  activity  of  John  would  have 
accentuated  that.  The  enforced  retirement  of  John 
left  the  field  clear  for  Jesus,  as  it  should  have  been. 
John's  light  went  out  when  it  was  at  its  brightest. 
He  met  a  martyr's  death  and  won  a  martyr's  crown 
through  no  fault  of  his.  Our  hearts  are  with  him  in 
his  struggles  in  the  dungeon,  but  it  is  a  short-sighted 
view  of  God  and  human  life  that  can  see  only  evil  in 
the  fate  of  John.  God  had  not  forgotten  his  servant 
when  he  let  him  remain  in  Machserus.  Nor  was  Jesus 
unconcerned  or  heartless  when  he  failed  to  interfere 
in  John's  behalf.  But,  with  all  the  clouds  of  doubt 
that  had  gathered  around  John,  let  us  never  forget 
that  he  brought  his  doubts  to  Jesus.  What  can  Jesus 
say  that  will  dispel  the  clouds  and  send  sunshine  into 
the  cell  at  Machserus? 

3.  The  Cheer  for  John. — At  first  Jesus  made  no 
reply  to  the  rather  sharp  inquiry  of  the  messengers  of 
John.  It  was  apparently  a  moment  of  holy  excite- 
ment^ when  great  crowds  pressed  around  the  Master 
to  hear  his  words  and  to  be  healed  of  their  diseases. 
The  disciples  of  John  had  not  waited  for  a  time  of 
leisure  to  present  their  query.  It  had  come  in  reality 
as  an  interruption.  So  Jesus  worked  on  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.     "  In  that  hour  he  cured  many  of  dis- 

1  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  240. 


218  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

eases  and  plagues  and  evil  spirits;  and  on  many  that 
were  blind  he  bestowed  ^  sight."  ^  Probably  the  dis- 
ciples grew  impatient  and  may  even  have  manifested 
signs  of  it.  This  was  surely  a  fine  way  to  treat  a 
message  of  the  Baptist  after  all  that  John  had  done 
for  Jesus,  and  considering  the  present  plight  of  the 
Baptist.  But  Jesus  meant  no  discourtesy  nor  was 
he  careless  about  John.  Is  it  any  reflection  on  Jesus 
to  say  that  he  was  meditating  while  he  worked  ?  The 
disciples  of  John  watched  Jesus.  Finally  he  spoke : 
"Go  your  way,  and  tell  John  what  things  ye  have 
seen  and  heard."  ^  There  was  nothing  new  in  that. 
John  knew  of  "the  works  of  the  Christ"  already."* 
Yes,  he  knew,  but  he  did  not  understand.  "  It  seems 
a  stern,  almost  unfeeling  reply.  He  spoke  no  word 
of  sympathy.  He  sent  no  message  of  cheer  to  that 
brave  soul  languishing  in  prison  and  questioning 
whether  the  crowning  act  of  his  heroic  ministry  had 
not  been  a  fatal  blunder.  It  seems  almost  a  cruel 
reply,  but  in  truth  Jesus  spoke  both  kindly  and 
wisely."  ^  Jesus  went  on  :  "  The  blind  receive  their 
sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed  and  the 
deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  the  poor  have  good 
tidings  preached  to  them."  ®  The  most  of  these 
things  had  just  passed  under  their  eyes.  The  dis- 
ciples had  the  benefit  of  experience  to  take  to  John. 
The  case  of  the  raising  of  the  son  of  the  Widow  of 

*  €xapi<raTo.     Graciously  bestowed  as  a  free  gift.     Cf.  a  modern  oculist 
who  saves  sight  for  many. 

2  Luke  7  :  21.  » Luke  7  :  22. 

<Matt.  11:  2. 

6  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  226. 

«  Luke  7:  22.     Cf.  Matt.  11 :  4  f. 


GLOOM  219 

Nain  was  very  recent/  There  was  only  one  new  point 
in  the  message.  That  was  the  preaching  to  the  poor. 
This  was  a  Messianic  sign  as  John  would  probably 
recognize.^  They  are  all  works  of  mercy,  none  mere 
works  of  power  or  display  such  as  the  Pharisees  ex- 
pected the  Messiah  to  perform.^  The  works  of  Jesus 
that  John  had  heard  of  in  the  prison  might  prove  only 
that  Jesus  was  a  great  prophet.  Elijah  and  Elisha 
had  raised  the  dead.  Jesus  had  himself  claimed  the 
preaching  to  the  poor  to  be  a  Messianic  sign.*  It  was 
a  new  thing  in  Jewish  life  for  a  rabbi  to  honor  the 
poor.  The  message  of  Jesus  to  John  therefore  is 
symbolical,  like  that  of  Tarquinius  Superbus  to  his 
son  Sextus  at  Gabii.^  They  are  to  tell  John  what 
they  have  seen  Jesus  doing.  Actions  speak  louder 
than  mere  words.  It  would  be  easy  for  Jesus  to  say 
the  word  Messiah,  but  a  mere  claim  would  not  make 
it  true.  Jesus  does  not  seem  concerned  whether  the 
messengers  will  understand  his  symbolism  or  not.^ 
But  surely  John  will  comprehend. 

Jesus  does  not  mention  the  word  Messiah'  nor  the 
phrase  of  John  "  the  Coming  One."  If  he  had  done 
so  on  this  occasion,  he  would  have  violated  his  custom 
at  this  period  of  his  ministry.  After  the  first  few 
months  we  find  Jesus  carefully  abstaining  from  apply- 
ing the  term  Messiah  to  himself.  The  jealousy  of 
the  Pharisees  had  already  been  aroused  against  him 
and  they  would  understand  the  use  of  "Messiah"  by 

>  The  tenses  are  all  present  (iterative  present). 

2  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.     Cf.  Isa.  35  :  5;  61 :  1. 

8  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  160.  *  Luke  4  :  18-21. 

"Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  160.  6  piumraer,  "Matthew,"  p.  160. 

7  Sanday,  "The  Life  of  Christ  in  Recent  Research,"  p.  57. 


220  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

Jesus  in  the  political  sense  which  was  untrue  in  itself 
and  which  would  lead  to  insurrection  against  Rome 
or  at  least  violent  popular  disturbance/  These  very 
disciples  of  John  might  have  been  misled  by  the  use 
of  the  term  by  Jesus.  Jesus  could  not  afford  to  imperil 
the  course  of  his  ministry  by  giving  a  categorical  reply 
to  the  question  of  John.  He  therefore  sends  John  an 
affirmative  answer,  but  in  symbolism;  a  cryptogram, 
but  not  a  very  hard  one  to  read.  "  It  was  not  indeed 
the  sort  of  evidence  that  John  was  looking  for;  but  it 
was  his  expectation  that  was  at  fault,  and  Jesus  had 
faith  in  his  sincerity,  his  candor,  his  open-mindedness, 
his  willingness  to  reconsider  his  opinions  and  abandon 
them  if  he  found  them  untenable."  ^ 

4.  The  Gentle  Reproof. — "And  blessed  is  he,  who- 
soever shall  find  none  occasion  of  stumbling  in  me."  ^ 
This  is  a  beatitude  that  Jesus  sends  John.  It  is  ex- 
pressed in  general  terms,  but  John  will  certainly  un- 
derstand what  Jesus  means.  Jesus  does  not  place  a 
premium  on  doubt,  not  even  on  honest  doubt  such  as 
that  in  the  case  of  John.  With  all  the  natural  causes 
that  led  to  John's  doubt,  it  was  weakness,  not  strength. 
There  was  pathos  in  the  use  of  the  word  "happy"  by 
Jesus.  John  was  certainly  not  happy,  and  doubt  had 
made  him  more  unhappy  than  ever.     Many  will  find 


'  Broadus,  "Harmony  of  the  Gospels,"  p.  24. 
2  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  226. 

'  Luke    7  :  23;    Matt.    11:6.      Kal  /xaKapio^  eo-rlv  OS  eai'  fj.r)  <TicavSa\i<rdjj  ev 

€Moi.  The  use  of  ixaKapio^  is  like  that  in  Matt.  5 :  3  ff .  The  use  of 
vKovSaXi^io  (common  in  the  New  Testament)  may  be  compared  with  Isa. 
8  :  14.  "John  was  in  a  dangerous  state  of  mind.  If  he  had  given  way 
to  his  pessimistic  mood  he  might  have  stumbled  over  the  stone  which  he 
had  been  sent  to  lay  in  Zion  as  the  chief  corner-stone"  (Stalker,  "  The  Two 
St.  Johns,"  p.  245). 


GLOOM  221 

Jesus  a  stumbling-block,  but  that  ought  not  to  be  true 
of  John.  He  had  been  enlightened  beyond  the  men 
of  his  time.  He  ought  to  understand  Jesus.  This 
message  of  tender  rebuke  would  confirm  the  implicit 
claim  of  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah.  The  import  of  all 
that  Jesus  has  said  in  his  message  to  John  is  that  he 
IS  what  John  had  proclaimed  him  to  be.  He  sends 
renewed  proof  of  his  power.  John  should  not  doubt. 
There  was  nothing  in  Jesus  to  justify  doubt.  He 
was  going  on  with  the  work  of  the  kingdom  in  the 
way  that  he  had  begun.  It  would  all  come  out  right 
in  the  end.  Jesus  was  doubtless  deeply  touched  by 
this  sad  wail  from  John,  for  Jesus  could  only  love  the 
Herald  of  the  Messiah.  He  sent  him  the  best  possible 
message  out  of  a  heart  that  loved  him  and  sympathized 
with  him.  John  had  somehow  misunderstood  Jesus, 
and  Jesus  was  deeply  grieved  to  find  it  so.  It  was 
almost  a  tragedy  that  there  should  come  the  least 
misunderstanding  between  John  and  Jesus.  But 
John  is  right  at  heart  as  Jesus  knows.  Jesus  was  in 
no  way  responsible  for  the  present  predicament  of 
John.  The  disciples  of  John  left  with  this  message 
of  Jesus  and  bore  it  to  John,  perhaps  dubious  what 
comfort  John  would  get  out  of  it.  But  Jesus  was 
concerned  about  John's  insight,  not  about  theirs. 
Let  us  hope  that  John  did  see  all  that  Jesus  wished 
him  to  understand,  that  his  heart  was  permanently 
refreshed  by  the  words  of  Christ.  One  can  almost 
feel  sorry  that  these  two  disciples  of  John  had  not  heard 
the  generous  praise  that  Jesus  gave  to  John  when  once 
they  were  out  of  hearing.^     It  seems  as  if  Christ  made 

»Matt.  11;  7:  Luke  7  :  24. 


222  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

a  point  of  waiting  till  they  were  out  of  ear-shot  before 
"he  began  to  say  unto  the  multitudes  concerning 
John."  *  From  one  stand-point  this  noble  eulogy 
would  have  been  meat  and  drink  to  John  in  his  lone- 
liness and  grief.  Bits  of  it  probably  were  carried  to 
John  afterward  by  other  disciples  of  his.  Farrar^ 
even  supposes  that  Jesus  spoke  privately  to  John^s 
messengers  other  words  of  affection  and  encourage- 
ment "for  the  grand  prisoner  whose  end  was  now  so 
rapidly  approaching — words  which  would  be  to  him 
sweeter  than  the  honey  which  had  sustained  his  hunger 
in  the  wilderness,  dearer  than  water-springs  in  the 
dry  ground."  But  there  is  no  real  basis  for  that  sup- 
position. Perhaps  Jesus  felt  that  his  praise  w^ould 
seem  more  sincere  and  genuine  if  not  meant  as  a 
direct  message  to  John.  It  was  more  delicate,  as  it 
was,  and  shows  how  much  Jesus  really  loved  John, 
how  he  had  done  all  to  cheer  him  that  lay  in  his  power. 
The  purpose  of  Jesus  may  have  been  partly  to  vindi- 
cate John  in  the  minds  of  some  in  the  multitude  who 
thought  "John  irresolute  or  cowardly."^  Plummer'* 
suggests  also  that  if  the  disciples  of  John  had  heard 
this  glowing  eulogy  it  would  have  counteracted  the 
effect  of  the  rebuke  which  Jesus  had  given.  "This 
panegyric  is  almost  the  funeral  oration  of  the  Baptist; 
for  soon  after  this  he  was  put  to  death."  ^ 

»  Luke  7  :  24.  2  <•  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  293. 

3 Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  226. 

*  "Luke,"  p.  204.  6  piummer,  ibid. 


CHAPTER  X 

APPRECIATION 

"Among  them  that  are  bom  of  women  there  hath  not 
arisen  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist"  (Matt.  11  :  11). 

1.  The  Courage  o'f  John. — John  had  often  borne 
testimony  to  Jesus,  and  Jesus  now  bears  glad  witness 
to  his  great  worth  and  work.^  "In  society  men  are 
commonly  praised  to  their  face,  or  the  faces  of  their 
friends,  and  blamed  behind  their  backs.  Jesus  does 
the  opposite  in  the  case  of  John."  ^  "  Gossip  only 
waits  till  the  door  is  shut  behind  a  visitor  before  can- 
vassing every  defect  in  his  appearance  and  ripping  up 
the  seams  of  his  character."  ^  Jesus  probably  knew 
that  the  by-standers  "  were  charging  the  Baptist  with 
vacillation  and  cowardice.  His  faith,  once  so  assured, 
was  shaken;  adversity  had  broken  his  spirit."  ^  In 
the  minds  of  the  people,  now  that  the  messengers  of 
John  are  gone,  Jesus  will  not  seem  to  be  using  words 
of  fulsome  flattery.  It  is  clear  that  Jesus  was  not 
willing  for  the  inquiry  of  John  and  his  reply  to  have 
the  effect  on  the  crowd  of  depreciating  John.  Jesus 
was  not  willing  for  the  people  to  draw  injurious  in- 
ferences^ from  what  had  just  occurred,  so  that  he 

1  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  238.  2  piummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  161. 

3  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  247. 
*  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  226. 
'Bruce,  "Matthew,"  p.  170. 

223 


224  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

began  at  once,  as  the  messengers  departed,  his  defence 
of  John.  He  spoke  with  poetic  intensity^  in  discharge 
of  a  debt^  of  love  to  John.  It  is  Jesus  who  thus  in- 
terprets for  men  the  real  significance  of  John.  It  was 
John  who  first  apprehended  Jesus  and  interpreted 
him  to  some  of  his  disciples.  Now  in  turn  Jesus  "  in 
language  of  rhythmic  and  perfect  loveliness"^  shows 
the  perfect  solidarity  between  himself  and  John,  finds 
John's  niche  in  the  temple  of  history  and  places  him 
securely  in  it.  No  one  can  dislodge  John  from  the 
high  pinnacle  on  which  Jesus  put  him.  No  one  had 
so  perfect  an  understanding  of  the  human  heart  as 
Jesus.  His  judgments  of  men  are  final.'*  Jesus  spoke 
such  glorious  praise  of  no  other  man.  It  is  all  true, 
but  was  probably  occasioned  by  the  very  pathos  of 
John's  situation.  It  was  a  fine  opportunity  to  do 
John  justice,  and  Jesus  quickly  seized  it.  "What 
went  ye  out  into  the  wilderness  to  behold?  a  reed 
shaken  with  the  wind ?  But  what  went  ye  out  to  see? 
A  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment?  Behold,  they  which 
are  gorgeously  apparalled,  and  live  delicately,  are  in 
kings'."  ^  These  questions  of  Jesus  brought  the 
crowd  back  to  a  sane  stand-point  concerning  John. 
The  catechetical  method  is  lively  and  impressive® 
always,  but  it  was  the  quickest  way  to  change  the 
current  of  thought  in  the  crowd.  The  present  atti- 
tude of  many  of  them  was  nothing  less  than  a  carica- 
ture of  the  real  John^  as  Jesus  knew  him  to  be.     At 

1  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  248.  2  Godet,  "Luke,"  in  loco. 

3  Farrar,  "  Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  293.  *  John  2  :  25. 

5  Luke  7  :  24  f. 

6  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

7  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  248. 


APPRECIATION  225 

bottom  John  was  highly  esteemed  still  by  the  masses 
and  Jesus  was  not  willing  to  see  that  good  reputation 
destroyed.  The  bulk  of  those  before  Jesus  had  prob- 
ably gone  to  the  wilderness  to  behold  ^  John.  He  was 
the  greatest  spectacle  of  his  time  and  many  had  gone 
from  mere  curiosity.  It  is  always  so  in  times  of  re- 
ligious excitement.  Some  go  to  mock  and  remain  to 
pray.  The  "reed  ^  shaken  in  the  wind"  is  still  to  be 
seen  by  the  Jordan.  "  Yet  the  stream  flows  in  the  old 
bed.  Still  gently  blows  the  wind  among  the  sighing 
reeds."  ^  The  words  can  be  taken  literally,  to  mean 
that  people  flocked  to  the  Jordan  to  see  the  reeds 
shaken  in  the  wind.  But  that  is  rather  jejune  in 
spite  of  great  names  which  support  it.^  The  people 
went  to  see  John  the  Baptist.  It  is  a  rhetorical  ques- 
tion and  the  idea  is  that,  if  John  had  been  fickle  and 
vacillating  like  a  reed  in  the  wind,  the  people  would 
not  have  continued  to  go  to  see  and  hear  him.  Even 
the  rulers  paid  John  the  tribute  of  a  visit  and  rejoiced 
in  this  bright  and  shining  light  "  for  a  season."  ^  The 
picture  of  one  reed  shaking  in  the  breeze  is  the  image 
of  a  weak  inconstant  man.  That  is  precisely  what 
John  was  not,  and  those  who  had  just  heard  his  cry 
for  light  must  not  think  so.  Jesus  calls  them  from 
John's  moment  of  temporary  doubt  due  to  his  pro- 
longed imprisonment  to  the  real  character  of  the  man 
as  they  themselves  had  known  him  in  the  days  of  his 

1  iJea<racri>at  in  Matt.   11:7  (but  Luke  has  ISelp)  as  a  spectacle.     Cf. 
theatre. 

*  Kaka^LOV  VTTo  aveVou  (raAevdjoiei'ov. 

»  Furrer,  "  Wanderungen,"  S.  185.     Translated  by  Bruce  on  Matthew, 
in  loco. 

*  De  Wette,  Fritzsche,  Grotius,  etc.  6  John  5  :  35. 


226  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

power  in  the  wilderness.  It  is  not  fair  to  a  man  to 
judge  his  whole  career  by  those  moments  of  depres- 
sion which  come  to  all.  The  question  answers  itself 
and  Jesus  asks  another  •}  "  But  what  went  ye  out  to 
see?  A  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment?"  ^  The  ques- 
tion is  again  rhetorical  and  keenly  ironical.  The 
image  of  John  in  his  garment  of  rough  hair-cloth  with 
his  leathern  girdle  is  brought  vividly  to  their  minds 
by  the  "soft  raiment"  of  silk  or  fine  linen  such  as 
one  finds  in  the  gorgeous  apparel  of  those  in  kings' 
courts  who  live  in  delicacy  and  luxury  in  contrast 
to  John's  locusts  and  wild  honey.  If  John  were  a 
coward,  he  would  have  been  a  courtier  and  would 
have  fawned  upon  Herod  and  Herodias  with  flattery. 
This  bold,  rudely  clad,  uncompromising  witness  to  the 
truth  was  not  won  from  the  straight  path  by  the  smile 
of  a  king  nor  intimidated  by  the  hate  of  a  queen.  He 
stood  "like  an  iron  pillar  and  a  brazen  wall"  ^  against 
error  and  wickedness.  John  was  no  worldling  like 
Herod  Antipas,  no  hypocrite  like  the  Pharisees.  He 
was  courage  incarnate,  no  demagogue,  no  courtier. 

2.  The  Last  of  the  Prophets. — Jesus  went  on.  He 
had  brushed  out  of  the  way  the  possible  miscon- 
ceptions of  John  by  the  two  previous  pointed  ques- 
tions. Now  he  is  ready  to  give  the  positive  side  of 
John's  character.  "  But  what  went  ye  out  to  see  ?  a 
prophet?"*  "Yea"  Jesus  adds,  that  they  may  not 
think  this  a  mere  rhetorical  question  like  the  rest. 

1  The  aAAa  waves  aside  the  former  question. 

^  ev  jLtaAttKois  i^Larioi?  fifj-tjueafievov. 

»  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  249. 
«Luke  7:  26.     Cf.  Matt.  11:9. 


APPRECIATION  227 

"Right  at  last;  a  prophet,  indeed,  with  all  that  one 
expects  in  a  prophet — vigorous  moral  conviction,  in- 
tegrity, strength  of  will,  fearless  zeal  for  truth  and 
righteousness;  utterly  free  from  the  feebleness  and 
time-serving  of  those  who  bend  like  reeds  to  every 
breath  of  wind,  or  bow  obsequiously  before  greatness."* 
Jesus  had  struck  the  popular  chord  about  John,  for 
the  people  held  him  to  be  a  prophet^  if  ever  there  was 
one.  The  long  weary  years  when  no  prophet  had  ap- 
peared in  Israel  gave  heightened  interest  to  John.^ 
He  had  the  prophetic  gift  in  all  its  reality  and  power, 
and  that  is  the  explanation  of  his  tremendous  power 
with  the  people.  He  was  a  true  fore-speaker*  as  well 
as  a  for-speaker.  Stalker^  notes  "  that  every  man  of 
prophetic  endowment  has  to  pass  through  the  stages 
of  criticism  against  which  John  was  defended  by 
Jesus"  (a  mere  demagogue  who  bent  to  the  popular 
breeze;  then  a  man  who  pandered  to  the  rich  and 
powerful  and  moved  in  the  king's  court  as  a  courtier 
in  soft  raiment).  It  is  true  also  of  many  a  modern 
preacher  that  he  has  to  live  down  suspicion,  misunder- 
standing, envy.  "  Only  after  running  the  gauntlet  of 
such  criticism  does  he  at  last  wring  from  the  minds  of 
his  contemporaries  the  acknowledgment  that  he  is  a 
prophet."  ^  John  was  the  last  and  the  greatest  of  the 
prophets.  Like  Samuel,  the  last  and  greatest  of  the 
judges  who  inaugurated  a  new  era  (the  monarchy 
succeeding  the  theocracy),  so  John  was  the  last  pro- 

»  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco.  *  Matt.  21 :  26. 

3  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  239.  ♦  7rpo-(^>jTijs. 

»  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  pp.  249  f. 
« Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  250. 


228  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

phetic  voice  under  the  old  dispensation  and  intro- 
duced the  new  age,  the  Messianic  era.  "For  all  the 
prophets  and  the  law  prophesied  until  John."  ^  The 
point  is  in  "  until  John."  ^  John  was  not  a  mere  con- 
tinuator  of  the  prophetic  line  who  kept  repeating  the 
prophecy  that  the  Messiah  will  come.^  John  went 
further.  He  said :  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  Yes,  and  he  finally  said  that  the  Messiah 
had  come.  John  is  the  last  predictor  of  the  kingdom, 
the  first  preacher  of  it.^  That  ended  the  old  order. 
John,  then,  is  the  great  mile-post  between  the  old  order 
and  the  new.  He  marked  the  close  of  one  epoch,  the 
beginning  of  another.  He  stands  as  a  great  mountain 
peak  in  solitary  grandeur,  the  last  and  highest  in  the 
long  range  of  mountains. 

3.  Much  More  than  a  Prophet. — He  is  a  prophet, 
the  greatest  of  the  prophets,  but  he  is  what  no  prophet 
ever  was.  The  phrase^  was  one  to  catch  the  ear. 
But,  at  first,  one  is  puzzled  to  see  how  John  could  be 
greater  than  a  prophet,  even  his  own  prophetic  office. 
The  explanation  is  found  in  the  quotation  from  Mal- 
achi^  given  by  Jesus  : 

"Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face, 
Who  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee."  ^ 

Here  in  the  fullest  and  frankest  manner  Jesus  recog- 
nizes John  as  his  Forerunner  just  as  John  had  claimed. 

'Matt.  11:  13. 

2  £0)5  *lMai/ou.  Luke  (16:16)  has  Jesus  saying  another  time:  "The 
laws  and  the  proph  ts  were  until  John." 

3  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.  ^  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  242. 

^  TrepitrffOTepov  7rpo(^rjTOv.  ^3:1. 

7  Matt.  11 :  10;  Luke  7  :  27.     Cf.  Mark  1 :  2. 


APPRECIATION  229 

He  sets  the  seal  of  his  approval  upon  John's  minis- 
try as  John  had  baptized  and  introduced  Jesus.  The 
real  relation  between  John  and  Jesus  thus  comes  out 
clearly  in  a  way  to  remove  all  ambiguity.  Jesus  is 
addressing  those  supposed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  him 
and  this  public  and  precise  endorsement  of  the  work 
of  John  removes  all  ground  for  misunderstanding. 
John  is  just  what  he  always  claimed  to  be.  "This  is 
he,"  says  Jesus,  of  whom  the  prophet  Malachi  wrote. 
Once  John  had  said  of  Jesus  :  "This  is  he."  ^  John 
is  himself  the  subject  of  prophecy.  That  is  more 
than  being  a  prophet.  Jesus  is  here  exalting  his  own 
position  in  exalting  John.^  He  is  virtually  claiming 
to  be  the  Messiah  of  whom  John  is  the  Forerunner, 
but  he  avoids  using  the  term  as  he  did  in  the  message 
to  John.  It  is  in  a  sense  an  accident  that  the  high 
honor  of  being  the  Forerunner  falls  to  John,^  since 
some  prophet  had  to  fulfil  that  office.  It  is  thus  more 
a  matter  of  good  fortune  than  of  merit  that  John 
happens  to  be  the  "Elijah  which  is  to  come."  *  This 
remark  of  Jesus  would  catch  the  popular  ear  because 
John  had  denied  to  the  Jerusalem  committee  that  he 
was  Elijah.^  Jesus,  in  fact,  calls  special  attention  to 
it,  as  if  to  emphasize  it :  "  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear, 
let  him  hear."  ®  Jesus  is  very  fond  of  this  way  of 
winning  attention  if  interest  flags  or  he  wishes  to  drive 
the  point  home,  or  if  ignorance  or  prejudice  has  to  be 
overcome.^     "We  can  scarcely  conceive  how  difficult 

»  John  1 :  30.  2  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  239. 

2  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.  «  Matt.  11 :  14. 

6  John  1  :  21.  «  Matt.  11:  15. 

7  Cf.  Matt.  13  :  9,  43;  24  :  15.  Cf.  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  242. 


230  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

it  was  for  the  Jews  to  accept  the  assertion  that  the 
prophecy  of  Elijah's  coming  was  fulfilled  in  John  the 
Baptist.  And  we  have  abundant  need  to  fear  lest  we 
ourselves  lack  ears  to  hear,  lack  the  spiritual  percep- 
tion and  sympathy,  the  candor  and  willingness  to  fol- 
low truth,  the  readiness  to  let  the  Bible  mean  what  it 
wishes  to  mean,  which  are  necessary  to  a  thorough 
understanding  of  Scripture."  *  "  If  ye  are  willing  to 
receive  it,"  says  Jesus.  It  was  opposed  to  the  popu- 
lar ideas  on  the  subject,  and  to  John's  express  denial 
because  of  that  popular  misconception.  Much  as  the 
people  thought  of  John,  they  were  hardly  willing  to  go 
that  far.  They  liked  him  best  when  he  was  attacking 
the  sins  of  others.  "  His  stern  demand  for  repentance, 
and  for  conduct  worthy  of  a  penitent,  was  not  liked  by 
many;  and  his  declaration  that  descent  from  Abraham 
gave  no  claim  to  admission  into  the  kingdom  was  dis- 
liked by  all."  ^  -^  But  Jesus  probably  also  meant  that 
they  must  take  the  identification  of  John  with  Elijah 
cum  grano  salis,  not  in  a  baldly  literal  way  as  the  Jews 
had  expected  and  as  John  had  properly  denied. 
"  Christ  idealizes,  seizes  the  essential  truth.  John  was 
all  the  Elijah  that  would  ever  come,  worthy  to  repre- 
sent him  in  spirit,  and  performing  the  function  as- 
signed to  Elijah  redivivus  in  prophecy."  ^  This  was 
all  that  was  ever  promised  of  John  by  the  angel 
Gabriel.*  So,  then,  John  is  the  Forerunner  of  the  Mes- 
siah and  stands  above  all   the  prophets.     "In   that 

1  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  242  f. 

2Pluramer,  "Matthew,"  p.  163. 

3  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco. 

*  Luke  1 :  17.     Cf.  what  Jesus  said  later  in  Matt.  17  :  11:  Mark  9  :  13. 


APPRECIATION  231 

long  procession  the  King  comes  last,  and  the  highest 
is  he  who  walks  in  front  of  the  Sovereign."  ^ 

4.  The  Greatest  of  Men. — Jesus  is  rising  in  his  ex- 
pressions of  praise.  It  is  a  mighty  crescendo.  To 
change  the  figure,  he  is  piling  Pelion  on  Ossa.  "  Among 
them  that  are  born  of  women  there  hath  not  arisen  a 
greater  than  John  the  Baptist."  ^  It  is  easy  to  say 
off-hand  that  a  man  is  the  greatest  man  who  ever 
lived,  and  not  mean  it.  Jesus  did  make  use  of  hyper- 
bole at  times  as  all  speakers  do.  But  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  measure  his  words,  to  weigh  them,  and  we 
do  not  find  them  wanting.  We  cannot  think  that 
here  Jesus  passed  an  exaggerated  compliment  on 
John  that  he  knew  would  be  properly  discounted. 
His  language  is  very  solemn  and  formal :  "  Verily  I 
say  unto  you."  ^  It  is  his  personal  conviction  and 
must  be  accepted  at  its  face  value.  Jesus  has  just 
been  speaking  of  John's  historic  position  as  the  Fore- 
runner, but  he  now  turns  to  discuss  the  character 
of  John,  his  own  intrinsic  worth  as  a  man.^  Some 
manuscripts^  in  Luke  7  :  28  do  have  "  prophet,"  but 
it  is  rightly  left  out  of  the  Revised  Version.  It  was 
evidently  inserted  by  some  scribe  to  relieve  the  mani- 
fest difficulty  of  the  saying.  If  John  was  merely  the 
greatest  prophet,  the  matter  would  be  much  simpler. 
Indeed,  many,  probably  most,  scholars  to-day  take 
the  remark  of  Jesus  to  refer  solely  to  the  position  of 


>  Alexander  Maclaren. 

2  Matt.  11:11.     Cf,  Luke  7  :  28.     fkei^av  'Itaavov  tow  jSajrno-Tofl. 

8  Matt.  11:  11. 

*  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco. 

*  But  not  »<BL,  most  versions. 


232  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  as  the  Forerunner/  He  was  so  great  because 
he  occupied  that  lofty  position.  That  is  true,  but  I 
cannot  myself  feel  that  this  is  all  that  Jesus  meant  to 
say  in  such  a  solemn  way.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say 
that  Jesus  has  all  men  who  will  ever  live  in  mind.  His 
own  case  is  a  peculiar  one  and  stands  apart  from  the 
rest.  It  may  even  be  that  the  comparison  of  Jesus 
moves  in  the  circle  of  Jewish  life  and  history.^  That 
is  probably  true,  though  the  expression  "  among  them 
that  are  born  of  women"  seems  like  a  "solemn  peri- 
phrasis for  the  whole  race  of  mankind."  ^  There  are 
difficulties  from  any  point  of  view,  and  this  word  of 
Jesus  was  not  probably  accepted  by  the  people  who 
usually  rank  the  dead  above  the  living.*  Instantly 
the  minds  of  the  audience  would  challenge  that  state- 
ment with  the  names  of  Abraham,  Moses,  David, 
Elijah,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah.  Surely  Jesus  could  not 
mean  to  place  John  above  these  men!  They  would 
not  likely  think  of  Homer,  Plato,  Buddha,  or  Con- 
fucius.^ But  they  would  easily  call  to  mind  Judas 
Maccabeus,  Hillel,  Shammai  among  recent  men.  The 
solution  lies  in  one's  conception  of  greatness.  Who 
is  really  great?  What  is  greatness ?  Men  have  vary- 
ing standards.  Some  care  more  for  power,  others 
for  money,  others  for  brilliance  of  intellect,  others  for 
achievement  in  statecraft,  in  battle,  in  industrial  pur- 
suits.    Herod  was  called  "  Great";  so  was  Alexander; 

•  Broadus,  Godet,  Plummer,  etc.  Zahn  ("  Evangelium  des  Matthaus," 
S.  428)  suggests  that  Jesus  does  not  have  in  mind  the  writing  prophets 
like  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  since  John  wrote  nothing,  but  only  prophets  like 
Samuel,  Elijah,  Elisha. 

2  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.  ^  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  162. 

*  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco. 

6  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  251. 


APPRECIATION  233 

so  were  Sophocles,  Socrates,  Thucydides,  Praxiteles, 
Demosthenes.  "  We  measure  greatness  by  the  size  of 
the  brain — by  what  men  call  brilliance,  talent,  genius."  ^ 
We  may  be  quite  sure  that  Jesus  has  in  mind  no  such 
superficial  measure  of  greatness  as  that.  "  God's  way 
of  estimating  greatness  is  different :  greatness  is  to  be 
sought  in  faithfulness  to  duty,  in  the  humility  with 
which  the  gifts  of  God  are  received  and  utilized;  above 
all,  in  nearness  to  God.'*  ^  This  is  the  point  that  men 
overlook  in  their  estimate  of  John,  but  it  was  just  the 
matter  that  Jesus  cared  most  about.  The  angel 
Gabriel  had  said  that  John  would  be  "great  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord."  ^  The  career  of  John  the  Baptist 
in  a  striking  way  illustrates  the  Parable  of  the  House- 
holder and  the  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard.*  John's 
ministry  was  short  and  came  at  the  end  of  the  long 
day,  but  he  did  a  full  man's  work  in  the  eleventh  hour. 
"So  the  last  shall  be  first  and  the  first  last."  John 
was  both  last  and  first;  last  in  time,  first  in  the  quality 
of  his  service.  John  had  taken  his  pound  and  made 
it  come  to  ten  pounds,^  to  use  another  parable  of  Jesus. 
Faithfulness  is  the  true  measure  of  greatness.  In 
God's  eye  greatness  and  goodness  are  very  nearly 
equivalent  terms.  I  would  not  say  that  Jesus  ex- 
cludes the  superior  position  of  John  in  his  estimate  of 
his  greatness,  but  that  he  does  not  confine  his  measure 
of  greatness  to  that.  John  was  a  real  prophet;  he 
was  the  last  and  greatest  of  the  prophets;^  he  was 
much  more  than  a  prophet  because  he  was  the  Fore- 

1  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  251. 

2  Ibid.  3  Luke  1 :  15.  "  Matt.  20 :  1-16.          6  Luke  19 :  16. 
"  Zahn,  "Evangelium  zu  Matt.,"  S.  423. 


234  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

runner  of  the  Messiah,  Elijah  that  was  to  come;  he 
was  equal  to  the  greatest  of  men.  Thus  the  argument 
runs.  The  last  point  is  the  necessary  climax.  The 
solemn  "verily  I  say  unto  you"  and  the  extension  of 
the  comparison  to  all  those  "born  of  women"  lifts  the 
comparison  to  the  summit.  It  is  a  supreme  position 
that  John  occupied.  He  stood  next  to  the  Son  of 
God  himself.  That  was  honor  beyond  that  received 
by  Abraham,  Moses,  David,  Isaiah,  Socrates,  Plato, 
Demosthenes,  Alexander,  Judas  Maccabeus,  Hillel, 
Shammai.  It  was  largely  reflected  glory  and  great- 
ness that  came  to  John,  as  the  moon  reflects  the  beauty 
of  the  sun.  But  not  wholly  so,  in  my  opinion.  In 
the  supreme  place  where  John  stood  right  beside  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness  he  was  "  the  lamp  that  burneth 
and  shineth."  ^  That  is  great  praise.  The  brightest 
electric  light  makes  a  poor  figure  in  the  face  of  the 
noon-day  sun.  I  once  saw  natural-gas  lamps  ablaze 
in  broad  daylight  all  over  Calgary,  Canada,  because 
it  was  cheaper  to  let  them  burn  than  to  put  them  out 
and  relight  them  each  day.  But  the  lights  were  mis- 
erable tapers  in  the  Canadian  summer  sun.  John 
burned  with  the  bright  and  steady  light  of  loyalty  to 
truth  and  righteousness  when  he  came  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Son  of  God  himself.  He  was,  like  all 
mortals  born  of  woman,  still  a  man  of  weakness  and 
frailty,  sorrow  and  sin.^  Jesus  does  not  mean  to  crown 
John  with  the  garland  of  perfection.  But,  under  the 
very  shadow  of  the  recent  exhibition  of  John's  weak- 
ness and  doubt  Jesus  calls  him  equal  to  the  greatest 

1  John  5 :  35.  2  Zahn,  "  Evangelium  zu  Matt.,"  S.  424. 


APPRECIATION  235 

of  men,  a  negative  way  of  saying  that  he  Is  the  greatest. 
I  would  not  press  the  point  too  far  to  the  disparage- 
ment of  other  men,  but  by  the  highest  standard  of  true 
greatness  known  to  us,  that  of  loyalty  to  duty  in  a 
supreme  place,  John  meets  the  test  squarely  and 
fairly.  We  use  the  term  '*  inherent  greatness,"  but  we 
probably  mean  only  genius.  The  moral  quality  of 
supreme  loyalty  overtops  mere  genius.  The  point  of 
view  of  Jesus  here  is  "  capacity  to  render  effective  ser- 
vice to  the  kingdom  of  God."  ^  There  John  stands 
supreme. 

5.  The  Least  in  the  Kingdom. — John  was  the  last 
link  ^  with  the  past.  He  stood  upon  the  shoulders  of 
the  past,  the  bravest  and  truest  of  them  all,  "Yet  he 
that  is  but  little  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater 
than  he."  ^  It  is  a  most  astonishing  turn  to  the  sen- 
tence and  to  the  thought.  The  first  has  suddenly 
become  last.  Jesus  is  fond  of  paradox  and  startling 
turns  of  expression.  It  was  part  of  his  power  as  a 
speaker  and  teacher  of  audiences  of  varied  intelligence. 
It  is  part  of  the  power  of  his  words  to-day  to  grip  and 
hold  the  attention  and  interest  of  men.  But  Jesus 
doe^  not  deal  in  paradoxes  just  to  be  striking.  If 
there  is  not  a  real,  even  great,  thought  in  the  paradox, 
it  becomes  wearisome.  The  translation  "he  that  is 
but  little"  ^  is  unfortunate  and  conceals  the  real  idea. 

1  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

2  Edersheim,  "  Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  670. 
s  Matt.  11:11.     Cf.  Luke  7:  28. 

*  6  Mi/cpoTcpos.  The  comparative  with  the  article  should  be  taken  either 
as  a  true  comparative  or  as  the  equivalent  of  the  superlative.  In  the 
modern  Greek  the  usual  way  of  expressing  the  superlative  is  by  the 
article  and  the  comparative.  The  idiom  is  common  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment  both   with  and   without  the  article.     Cf.  (iei^wi-  in  Matt.  18:  1; 


236  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

The  Authorized  Version  has  it  more  in  accord  with 
the  Greek  idiom,  "he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom." 
The  Revised  rendering  is  really  quite  out  of  place^ 
and  ignores  the  current  Greek  idiom.  We  may  pass 
by  as  quite  beside  the  mark  the  notion  of  Chrysostom, 
though  followed  by  so  many  of  the  fathers  and  later 
writers,  ^  that  "the  least  in  the  kingdom''  is  Jesus 
himself.  This  interpretation  is  that  Jesus,  though 
less  in  age  and  fame  than  John,  is  in  reality  greater. 
This  is  a  truth,  but  it  is  more  than  doubtful  if  Jesus 
would  choose  this  occasion  to  speak  thus  of  himself. 
The  inquiry  from  John  had  without  doubt  raised  the 
problem  of  the  relation  between  John  and  Jesus,  and 
Jesus  had  spoken  on  that  point  in  calling  John  the 
prophetic  Forerunner  or  Elijah.  But  the  interpreta- 
tion in  question  would  place  Jesus  in  the  position  of 
appealing  to  the  multitude  to  think  more  of  himself 
than  of  John,  a  difficult  thing  to  think  of  at  this  junc- 
ture. That  was  not  involved.^  Jesus  means,  therefore, 
to  say  that  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
greater  than  John,  any  one  of  the  crowd  before  Jesus 
who  was  really  in  the  kingdom.  What  did  he  mean  ? 
Was  it  due  to  defects  in  John's  spirit  and  temper? 
"He  utterly  misconceived  the  Messianic  kingdom — 
John  conceived  the  Messiah  as  a  stern  Reformer,  and 
he  was  eager  for  the  inauguration  of  the  new  and 

I  Cor.  13  :  13;  o  fieiCav  18  :  4;  23  :  11.  See  Robertson,  "Short  Grammar 
of  the  Greek  New  Testament,"  p.  66.  The  superlative  form  fxiKporaros 
is  absent  from  the  New  Testament. 

1  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  240. 

2  Hilary,    Ambrose,    Theophylact,    Enthymius    Zigabenus,    Erasmus, 
Luther. 

3 Bruce  ("Matthew")  calls  this  notion  of  Chrysostom     an  exegetical 
curiosity." 


APPRECIATION  237 

better  era.  He  had  broken  with  the  old  order;  he 
had  forsaken  Temple  and  Synagogue,  and  assailed  the 
rulers  with  jfierce  denunciation.  He  had  inflamed  the 
zealot-temper  and  set  the  land  afire.  Men  were  think- 
ing to  establish  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  by  violent  and 
revolutionary  methods.  This  spirit  and  these  methods 
Jesus  viewed  with  profound  disapprobation,  recogniz- 
ing as  He  did  the  value  of  the  ancient  faith,  as  a  prepa- 
ration for  His  perfect  revelation,  and  the  spirituality 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  He  had  the  Baptist  in 
His  eye  when  He  said  at  the  outset  of  His  ministry : 
'  Whosoever  looseth  one  of  these  least  commandments 
and  teacheth  men  so,  least  shall  he  be  called  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven.'  And  now  He  reiterates  the 
declaration  with  still  greater  emphasis  :  *  One  that  is 
but  little  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  greater  than 
he.*"^  It  seems  to  me  that  Dr.  Smith  has  here  put 
John  in  the  strait-jacket  of  the  Pharisees  whose  per- 
functory traditionalism  John  had  denounced.  The 
disciples  of  John,  some  of  them,  had  come  to  affiliate 
with  the  Pharisees  in  opposition  to  Jesus,  but  there  is 
no  proof  that  they  really  represented  John  in  this  at- 
titude. There  were  evidences  in  John's  own  preach- 
ing (the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels,^  the  Lamb  of  God  in  John's  GospeP)  that 
the  Baptist  had  grasped  the  spiritual  conception  of 
the  kingdom  and  of  the  Messiah.  Besides,  the  es- 
chatological  apocalyptic  language  of  John  can  be 
paralleled   with   similar  words   from   Jesus   himself. 

1  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  pp.  227  f. 

2  Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1:7;  Luke  3  :  16.  s  John  1 :  29,  35. 


238  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  certainly  did  not  have  the  fulness  of  knowledge 
that  was  possible  to  those  under  the  immediate  tute- 
lage of  Jesus,  but  it  is  going  further  than  the  words  of 
Jesus  justify  to  put  John  in  the  category  of  the  Phari- 
sees. It  is  certainly  true  that,  in  calling  the  least  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  greater  than  John,  Jesus  has 
in  mind  position  and  privilege,  not  character  or  per- 
formance.^ In  the  description  of  John  as  the  greatest 
born  of  women  it  was  urged  that  Christ  had  reference 
to  John's  fidelity  as  well  as  to  his  high  station.  There 
would  thus  be  a  change  in  the  point  of  view  somewhat 
like  that  in  the  double  use  of  "  life "  in  the  saying : 
"WTiosoever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it."  ^  John 
is  only  the  friend  of  the  Bridegroom,  as  he  had  said, 
while  the  followers  of  Jesus  are  his  spouse.^  He  is 
the  greatest  servant  of  the  King,  while  they  are  the 
sons  of  the  bride-chamber.*  John  did  have  moral 
sternness,^  but  it  may  be  seriously  questioned  if  Bruce^ 
is  right  in  holding  that  quality  responsible  for  John's 
doubt  of  Jesus  and  inferiority  in  rank  to  the  disciples 
of  Jesus.  He  says  :  "  It  made  him  doubt  Jesus,  kept 
him  aloof  from  the  kingdom,  and  placed  him  below 
anyone  who  in  the  least  degree  understood  Christ's 
gracious  spirit,  e.  g.,  one  of  the  Twelve  called  in  x.  42 
*  these  little  ones.'  "  I  think  that  John's  graciousness 
of  spirit  is  quite  on  a  par  with  that  of  the  disciples  who 
"disputed  one  with  another  in  the  way,  who  was  the 
greatest,"  ^  who  wanted  to  call  down  fire  to  burn  up 
a  Samaritan  village,^  who  forbade  men  to  cast  out 

'  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  251.  2  Matt,  16  :  25. 

8  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  162,  *  Matt.  9 :  15. 

B  "  Matthew,"  in  loco.  «  Mark  9 :  34.  ">  Luke  9 :  54. 


APPRECIATION  239 

demons  in  the  name  of  Jesus  unless  they  followed  the 
disciples/  who  wanted  the  chief  places  in  the  king- 
dom/ who  could  have  a  contention  for  personal  pro- 
motion at  the  last  passover  meal  of  Jesus/  to  go  no 
further.  These  matters  are  not  mentioned  for  the 
purpose  of  disparaging  the  disciples  in  the  least,  but 
to  show  that  Bruce  is  in  error  in  depreciating  the  spirit 
of  John  in  comparison  with  that  of  the  twelve  apostles. 
The  truth  about  John  is  that  Jesus  here  looks  upon 
him  as  the  last  in  the  old  dispensation.  The  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  the  new  dispen- 
sation or  New  Testament  era.*  "The  law  and  the 
prophets  were  until  John."  ^  John  marked  the  close 
of  the  old  era,  the  beginning  of  the  new.  It  must  be 
repeated  that  the  sense  of  "kingdom  of  heaven'*  is 
not  that  of  inward  experience  of  grace  or  the  reign  of 
God  in  the  heart,  the  usual  idea  in  the  New  Testament. 
In  this  sentence  Jesus  uses  the  phrase  for  the  new 
spiritual  order.  In  this  technical  sense  of  the  term 
John  was  not  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He  be- 
longed to  the  old  order.  Meye/  quotes  a  legal 
maxim  :  "  The  least  of  that  which  is  greatest  is  greater 
than  the  greatest  of  that  which  is  least."  In  privilege 
and  opportunity  the  lowest  in  rank  in  the  new  order 
are  ahead  of  John  who  was  the  highest  of  the  old 
order.  It  is  not  true  that  the  lowest  in  character  in 
the  new  order  is  superior  in  character  or  performance 
to  John.     John's  standing  in  that  respect  has  already 

I  Mark  9  :  38  f.  2  Luke  18  :  37.  » Luke  22 :  24. 

*  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  252.  s  Luke  16  :  16. 

8  "Matthew,"  in  loco,  from  Maldonatus:  Minimum  maximi  est  majus 
mazime  minimi.     Cf.  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  294. 


240  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

been  made  secure  by  the  word  of  Jesus.  He  now 
turns  to  another  matter,  that  of  opportunity.  Jesus 
was  pouring  forth  a  wealth  of  spiritual  knowledge 
that  the  world  had  not  possessed  before.  His  teach- 
ing is  still  to-day  the  wonder  and  joy  of  the  whole 
earth.  John  had  come  right  up  to  Jesus,  but,  so  far 
as  we  know,  did  not  hear  a  single  discourse  from  the 
Master  Teacher  and  Preacher^  of  the  ages.  He  came 
so  near  and  missed  so  much.  Jesus  has  therefore  used 
his  high  encomium  of  John  as  a  hammer  to  drive  home 
to  his  audience  in  a  powerful  way  their  own  tremendous 
responsibility.  John  had  lived  up  to  his  light  with 
loyalty  and  fidelity.  They  need  not  be  worried  about 
him.  What  were  they  going  to  do  with  their  own 
transcendent  privilege  ?  Capernaum,  Bethsaida, 
Chorazin  will  put  to  blush  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
Tyre  and  Sidon.  Broadus^  compares  the  position  of 
John  to  that  of  a  landing-place  in  a  stairway  which 
turns  at  that  point.  It  is  the  highest  part  of  the  stair- 
way up  to  that  point.  It  is  the  lowest  of  the  next 
flight  of  steps.  Chrysostom  has  likened  him  to  the 
hour  betw^een  dawn  and  sunrise.  It  is  the  close  of 
night,  the  beginning  of  day.  Stalker^  has  illustrated 
John's  position  by  the  three  kingdoms  (mineral, 
vegetable,  animal).  The  lowest  of  the  vegetable  is 
higher  than  the  highest  of  the  mineral.  The  lowest 
of  the  animal  is  higher  than  the  highest  of  the  vegetable. 
This  illustration  is  all  the  more  pertinent  in  view  of 
scientific  discoveries  like  radium  which  obscure  the 


>  Cf.  Bond,  The  Master  Preacher.  2  "Commentary,"  p.  241. 

'  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  252.' 


APPRECIATION  241 

distinctions  drawn.  That  is  to  say,  it  is  hard  to  put 
your  finger  down  and  say  which  is  w^holly  mineral 
and  not  vegetable,  which  is  wholly  vegetable  and  not 
animal.  The  border-line  disappears.  In  a  true  sense, 
therefore,  John  is  both  in  and  out  of  the  kingdom. 
Jesus  treats  him  here  as  out  of  the  kingdom  to  illus- 
trate this  point.  The  beginning  of  John's  ministry 
was  dawn,  while  Pentecost  was  the  full  blaze  of  the 
Messianic  era.^  Stalker^  aptly  reminds  us  that  Paul 
makes  precisely  the  comparison  that  Jesus  here  draws 
between  the  two  dispensations.  "For  verily  that 
which  hath  been  made  glorious  hath  not  been  made 
glorious  in  this  respect,  by  reason  of  the  glory  that  sur- 
passeth.  For  if  that  which  passe th  away  was  with 
glory,  much  more  that  which  remaineth  is  in  glory."  ^ 
It  is  the  shame  of  Christians  that  they  do  not  rise 
to  the  height  of  their  opportunity  and  responsibility. 
"  It  is  from  the  sense  of  being  ideally  lifted  up  into  a 
region  of  holiness  and  blessedness  through  our  con- 
nection with  Christ  that  we  are  supplied  with  the  mo- 
tive and  the  power  for  a  real  conflict  with  evil."  * 

So  far  John.  But  has  his  work  been  a  success? 
That  is  one  test  of  a  man's  work,  though  not  the  only 
one.  Paul  appealed  to  the  success  of  his  work  as  an 
apostle  against  the  Judaizers.^  Could  there  be  suc- 
cess to  a  man's  work  when  he  lay  in  prison?  "And 
from  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  until  now  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  men  of  violence 

>  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  241. 

2  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  252.  3  n  Cor.  3  :  10  f. 

*  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  253. 

5  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco.     Cf.  II  Cor.  11. 


242  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

take  it  by  force."  *  Luke^  gives  this  saying  in  another 
context  and  in  a  slightly  different  form.  It  is  so 
excessively  difficult  that  we  need  all  the  light  possible  : 
*'  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John  :  from 
that  time  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached 
and  every  man  entereth  violently  into  it."  ^  If  the 
translation  in  Luke  is  correct,  the  saying  in  Matthew* 
probably  corresponds  with  it.  Zahn^  takes  it  to  mean  : 
"the  kingdom  forces  its  way"  like  a  mighty  rushing 
wind.^  That  is  true,  for  at  that  very  moment  the 
kingdom  of  God  under  the  leadership  of  Jesus  was 
forging  ahead.  But  it  is  more  than  doubtful  if  it  is 
the  correct  interpretation.  The  use  of  "take  it  by 
force"'  is  against  it.  But  it  is  not  a  hostile  attack, 
but  the  moral  energy  shown  by  those  who  seek  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  thus  a  powerful  pict- 
ure of  the  moral  enthusiasm  generated  by  John  the 
Baptist.  He  began  the  movement  which,  under  Jesus, 
was  gathering  momentum  every  day.  "His  preach- 
ing had  led  to  a  violent  and  impetuous  thronging  to 
gather  around  Jesus  and  His  disciples,  a  thronging  in 
which  our  Lord  apparently  saw  as  much  unhealthy 
excitement  as  true  conviction."  ^  It  is  probable  that 
by  "men  of  violence"  Jesus  meant  to  describe  "the 
publicans  and  sinners"  who  welcomed  him^  as  they 
had  John.^^   "For  John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of 

iMatt.  11:  12.  « 16  :  16. 

3  Koi  was  eis  avrriv  ^ta^cTai.     The  intransitive  use  of  /Sta^o/tioi  is  illustrated 
in  the  inscriptions.     Of.  Deissmann,  "Bible  Studies,"  p.  258. 

*  t)  /Sao-tAeta  r(i)v  ovpaviav  /Sia^erai,  koX  ^Latrrai  apird^ova-iv  avTi^v. 

6  "Evangeliura  zu  Matt.,"  in  loco. 

6  Plummer,  "  Matthew,"  p.  162.  ">  apjra^ouo-iv  airrji'  equals  attack. 

8  Hort,  "  Judaistic  Christianity,"  p.  26. 

9  Matt.  9  :  10,  lo  Lulie  7  :  29. 


APPRECIATION  243 

righteousness,  and  ye  believed  him  not :  but  the  pub- 
licans and  the  harlots  believed  him."  ^  Those  who 
responded  to  the  message  of  John  were  not  all  of  the 
so-called  respectable  class.  Many  of  them  came  from 
the  down- trodden  class.  In  times  of  excitement  such 
work  is  sharply  criticised  by  many.  But  certainly 
Jesus  is  not  here  criticising  John  nor  his  converts. 
These  converts  had  many  imperfections  and  short- 
comings, but  they  had  at  least  this  to  their  credit. 
They  had  pushed  on  with  eagerness  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  while  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  held  aloof 
and  criticised  those  who  did  enter  in.  "And  ye,  when 
ye  saw  it,  did  not  even  repent  yourselves  afterward, 
that  ye  might  believe  him."  ^  But  the  movement  in- 
augurated by  John,  whatever  the  shortcomings  of 
those  swept  on  by  it,  was  a  proof  of  his  power  and 
abiding  influence.  These  very  men  of  violence  prove 
John's  great  moral  force  and  high  prophetic  endow- 
ment.^ "  Christianity  was  born  in  a  great  revival,"  ^ 
and  it  has  grown  by  means  of  revivals. 

6.  Rejection  of  Both  John  and  Jesus. — It  is  not  cer- 
tain how  we  are  to  take  verses  29  and  30  in  Luke  7  : 
"And  all  the  people  when  they  heard,  and  the  publi- 
cans, justified  God,  being  baptized  with  the  baptism 
of  John.  But  the  Pharisees  and  the  lawyers  rejected 
for  themselves  the  counsel  of  God,  being  not  baptized 
of  him."  Bruce,^  for  instance,  is  absolutely  certain 
that  the  words  are  a  historical  reflection  of  the  evange- 
list :   "  Its  prosaic  character,  as  compared  with  what 

Matthew,"  p.  241. 


J  Matt.  21  :  32. 

2  Ibid. 

3  Bruce,  "  Matthew,' 

'  in  loco. 

*  Broadus, 

5  "Luke,"  in  loco. 

244  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

goes  before  and  comes  after,  compels  this  conclusion, 
as  even  Hahn  admits.  Then  its  absence  from  Mat- 
thew's account  points  in  the  same  direction."  The 
Authorized  Version  had  inserted  "And  the  Lord 
said"  ^  in  verse  31,  to  indicate  that  the  two  verses 
preceding  were  remarks  by  Luke.  But  these  words 
are  not  genuine  and  do  not  appear  in  the  Revised  Ver- 
sion. It  is  possible  that  Luke  did  this  to  explain  how 
far  John's  work  was  really  successful  with  the  people. 
But  it  is  certainly  strange  to  have  such  an  extended 
comment  in  the  midst  of  a  discourse  of  Jesus.  Plum- 
mer^  considers  it  "without  a  parallel  and  improbable." 
On  the  whole,  therefore,  it  is  best  to  take  the  words 
as  part  of  the  address  of  Jesus.  They  really  come  in 
very  well  after  the  paragraph  in  Matthew  (not  given 
by  Luke)  about  the  violent  energy  displayed  by  men 
in  entering  the  kingdom  of  God.  That  enthusiasm 
was  true  of  some,  but  not  of  all.  The  people  as  a 
whole  justified  God  in  sending  John  and  accepted 
baptism  at  his  hands  in  proof  of  their  attitude  toward 
him.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  great  mass  of  these 
did  not  possess  the  spiritual  qualification  demanded 
by  John  for  his  baptism.  But  the  fact  that  they  sub- 
mitted to  baptism  by  him  showed  that  they  believed 
in  his  worth  and  the  truth  of  his  claims.  And  John 
did  "turn"  many  of  the  children  of  Israel  to  the  Lord 
their  God  as  the  angel  had  said  to  Zacharias.^  Some 
of  the  disobedient  were  walking  in  the  wisdom  of  the 
just.     A  people  was  made  ready  for  the  Lord  Messiah 


'■  eine  Se  o  Kvpio?. 

2  Plummer,  "Luke."  p.  205  f.  '  Luke  1 :  17. 


APPRECIATION  245 

when  he  came.  Even  the  publicans^  accepted  his 
baptism.^  "Wherever  the  publican  penetrates,  there 
is  no  justice  for  any  one."  ^  It  was  just  because  the 
mob,  the  am-ha-aretz,  believed  in  John  that  the  Phari- 
sees and  the  lawyers  drew  back.  It  was  so  as  to  Jesus. 
"The  Pharisees  therefore  answered  them,  Are  ye  also 
led  astray?  Hath  any  of  the  rulers  believed  on  him, 
or  of  the  Pharisees  ?  But  this  multitude  which  know- 
eth  not  the  law  are  accursed."  *  The  coming  of 
the  publicans  to  the  side  of  John  drove  the  Pharisees 
still  further  away.^  But  it  was  God's  counsel  ®  that 
even  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers^  should  repent.  In 
truth,  none  needed  repentance  more.^  But  the  Phari- 
sees and  lawyers  (scribes)  had  come  out  against  Jesus 
also,  so  that  Jesus  does  not  consider  their  hostility  to 
John  to  his  discredit. 

So  then  in  spite  of  all  the  enthusiasm  excited  by 
John  in  some  classes,  the  people  had  not  really  turned 
from  their  sins.  Least  of  all  had  the  religious  leaders 
met  the  appeal  of  John,  as  was  to  have  been  expected. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  John  was  now  in  prison  partly 
because  the  Pharisees  had  conspired  with  Herod 
against  him.  This  generation  is  not  the  one  to  be 
casting  stones  at  John.  It  lives  in  a  glass  house.  He 
has  in  mind,  as  is  plain  from  Luke's  report,  chiefly 
these  religious  leaders  who  are  already  jealous  of  Jesus 
himself.     "Whereunto  shall  I  liken  the  men  of  this 

1  KoX  ot  TeAoii/at..     Here  KaX  equals  even.  2  Matt.  21 :  32. 

3  Livy,  quoted  by  Davis,  "The  Influence  of  Wealth  in  Imperial  Rome," 
p.  27.     1910. 

4  John  7  :  47  f.  5  Matt.  21  :  32.  «  rriv  Pov\r)v  toO  ^eov. 

7  oi  vofiLKoi  equals  ypafXfiareU.  These  lawyers  were  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  lawyers,  but  particularly  ecclesiastical  students. 

8  Bruce,  "Luke,"  in  loco. 


246  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

generation,  and  to  what  are  they  like  ?  They  are  like 
unto  children  that  sit  in  the  market-place,  and  call 
one  to  another;  which  say.  We  piped  unto  you  and 
ye  did  not  dance;  we  wailed,  and  ye  did  not  weep."  ^ 
Bruce^  is  not  certain  that  this  vivid  parable  was 
spoken  by  Jesus  at  the  same  time  as  the  rest  of  the 
discourse.  But  surely  this  is  hypercriticism,  since 
both  Matthew  and  Luke  report  it  so.  It  is  perfectly 
natural  that,  after  Jesus  has  pronounced  his  wonder- 
ful panegyric  on  John  and  his  relation  to  himself  with 
some  sketch  of  the  success  of  his  work,  he  should 
turn  to  a  characterization  of  the  people  among  whom 
John  and  Jesus  have  labored,  especially  those  who 
have  rejected  them.  It  is  a  sharp  transition,  but  not 
too  sharp.  The  "but"  here  is  not  by  way  of  dispar- 
agement of  John,  as  is  so  often  true  of  conversation.^ 
Jesus  includes  himself  in  this  picture,  which  is  in  every 
way  like  the  style  of  Christ.  Jesus  had  watched  the 
children  at  play  in  the  market  square.  He  dearly 
loved  children  ,  and  their  ways.  One  child  played 
chief  mourner  in  the  game  of  funeral,  while  the  rest 
wailed  behind.*  Then  one  child  played  the  pipe  at 
the  game  of  wedding,  while  the  rest  danced  at  the 
wedding.  Then  all  grew  tired  and  wanted  a  change. 
Curiously  enough  this  is  the  only  place  in  the  Bible 
where  a  children's  game  is  described.^  The  parable 
points  its  own  application,  but  Jesus  does  not  leave 
the  matter  to  chance.  He  expounds  it  himself.  "  For 
John  the  Baptist  is  come,  eating  no  bread  nor  drink- 

»  Luke  7  :  32.     Cf.  Matt.  11 :  16  f.  2  "  Matthew,"  in  loco. 

8  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  255.  i  Ibid.,  p.  256. 

B  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  244. 


APPRECIATION  247 

ing  wine;  and  ye  say,  He  hath  a  devil.  The  Son  of 
Man  is  come  eating  and  drinking;  and  ye  say,  Behold 
a  gluttonous  man,  and  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  pub- 
licans and  sinners!  "  ^  These  children  were  petulant 
and  peevish.  They  revealed  not  the  good,  but  the 
bad,  qualities  of  children.  They  were  childish  in  the 
extreme.  Exactly  so  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers  had 
acted  toward  both  John  and  Jesus.  They  were  play- 
ing at  religion^  like  fretful  children,  who  refused  to 
play  if  they  could  not  have  their  way.  They  demanded 
of  John  that  he  play  like  a  Pharisee.  They  demand 
the  same  of  Jesus.  But  they  are  fickle  and  inconstant 
in  their  criticisms.  Both  of  the  groups  of  children 
found  fault,  if  they  were  not  the  same  group  in  reality. 
That  point  is  not  made  perfectly  clear.  In  Matthew^ 
the  correct  text  seems  to  draw  a  distinction  between 
the  two  groups  of  children,  though  that  is  not  neces- 
sary. They  played  funeral  and  the  most  of  them 
disliked  it.  They  played  wedding  and  most  of  them 
disliked  that.  In  truth  these  fault-finding  children 
do  not  want  to  play  at  all  unless  they  can  have  their 
way  about  everything.  John  with  his  sternness  and 
ascetic  habits  was  like  playing  funeral.  He  did  not 
eat  or  drink  as  most  people  did.  The  language  is  not 
to  be  pressed  too  literally.  It  is  less  open  to  mis- 
understanding in  Luke,  who  mentions  bread  and  wine. 
John  did  eat  locusts  and  wild  honey,  and  most  assur- 
edly drank  water,  but  he  was  unusually  abstemious 

»  Luke  7  :  33  f.     Cf.  Matt.  7  :  19. 
2  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

'  11  :  16.      Toi?  erepots    (Luke    has     a\AijAoi<;),    not    Toi?    eraipois.      BCDL 

read  in  Matthew  erepois,  but  the  word  does  not  always  mean  "different." 
It  may  still  be  equivalent  to  Luke's  dAAijAot?. 


248  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

in  his  diet.  The  reward  that  he  received  from  the 
Pharisees  and  lawyers,  who  acted  with  peevish  child- 
ishness, was  that  they  said  :  "  He  has  a  demon."  He 
was  so  peculiar,  so  different  from  other  people.  By 
the  use  of  "ye  say"  in  Luke^  Jesus  seems  to  imply 
that  some  of  these  critics  are  present  as  he  speaks. 
If  so,  this  fact  partly  explains  his  comment  about  the 
Pharisees  and  lawyers.^  They  had  not  only  rejected 
John's  message  and  mission,  but  are  now  ridiculing 
him.^  John  had  called  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees 
a  brood  of  vipers  for  their  hypocrisy.  So  now  they 
find  a  satisfactory  retort  in  calling  him  crazy  and  pos- 
sessed with  a  demon.  A  lunatic  was  usually  con- 
sidered demoniacal.  The  reality  of  demons  is  a  per- 
plexing problem  for  many  people  at  the  present  day. 
The  subject  does  not  come  before  us  in  an  acute  form 
at  all  in  the  ministry  of  John,  since  he  did  not  cast  out 
demons  or  work  other  miracles.  However,  it  may  be 
said  in  passing,  that  the  modern  researches  in  physi- 
ological psychology  concerning  the  intimate  relation 
between  mind  and  matter  make  it  less  difficult  to 
understand  how  spirits  of  evil,  if  they  exist,  can  influ- 
ence human  nature.  Certainly,  the  intense  profan- 
ity, blasphemy  and  love  of  evil  in  some  deranged  per- 
sons make  plausible  the  idea  of  possession,  whether 
cause  or  effect.  It  is  possible  that,  when  one  has 
lost  his  mental  balance,  he  is  less  able  to  resist  the 
spirits  of  evil  who,  in  some  cases,  take  possession  of 
him  and  greatly  intensify  the  physical  and  mental 
malady.     The  existence  of  the  devil  is  the  chief  diffi- 

'  7  :  33  f.  2  Luke  7  :  29  f.  ^  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  244. 


APPRECIATION  249 

culty  concerning  the  question  of  demons.  The  origin 
of  evil  is  a  dark  and  dreadful  problem  from  any  point 
of  view.  But  it  is  not  rendered  easier  by  denying  the 
existence  of  the  devil  or  of  demons.  One  can  easily 
call  to  mind  men  and  women  who  seem  bent  on  evil.^ 
In  the  case  of  John  it  is,  of  course,  slander  pure  and 
simple.  The  Pharisees  had  already  said  ^  that  Jesus 
did  his  miracles  by  the  prince  of  demons.  He  was 
able  to  drive  out  demons  because  he  was  in  league 
with  their  prince,  the  devil  himself.  They  will  very 
soon  repeat  this  very  accusation  against  Jesus,  w^ho 
will  expose  their  hypocrisy  in  making  it  by  showing 
that,  if  it  were  true,  Satan  would  be  casting  out  Satan, 
an  absolute  absurdity.^  The  charge  against  John  was 
due  to  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the  Pharisees,  as  it 
plainly  w^as  in  respect  to  Jesus. ^ 

They  would  not  play  funeral  with  John,  nor  will 
they  play  wedding  with  Jesus.  Jesus  had  attended  a 
wedding^  early  in  his  ministry.  He  had,  unlike  John, 
mingled  in  the  social  life  of  the  people.  The  Pharisees 
were  quick  to  find  fault  with  him  for  that.  He  was 
so  different  from  John.  He  played  wedding,  not 
funeral.^  The  two  criticisms  cancel  one  another. 
But  fault-finders  are  not  bothered  by  inconsistency. 
The  excuses  advanced  merely  betray  an  attitude  of 
mind  and  heart,  not  the  real  motive.  They  feared 
John's  "glittering  axe"  and  "the  winnowing  fan  of 
Jesus."  ^    That  was  the  real  motive.     They  feared 

»  Of.  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  189  f.  2  Matt.  9  :  34, 

8  Matt.  12  :  24-26;  Mark  3  :  22  ff.  *  Matt.  12  :  23  ff. 
B  John  2:  1-11. 

6  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  257.  ^  Ibid. 


250  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  hated  both  John  and  Jesus.  The  Pharisees 
slandered  John  by  saying :  "  He  is  a  little  off.  He 
has  a  demon.  You  will  have  to  excuse  him  for  what 
he  says.  That  is  why  he  called  us  a  brood  of  vipers. 
That  is  why  he  lives  on  locusts  and  wild  honey  and 
dresses  so  queerly.  That  is  why  he  talks  in  such  an 
excited  manner  about  the  Messiah  and  the  kingdom. 
That  is  why  he  has  gotten  into  all  this  trouble  with 
Herod.  It  is  best  just  to  pay  no  attention  to  his  talk." 
They  slandered  Jesus  by  saying :  "  He  is  a  regular 
glutton.^  He  eats  everything  in  sight.  He  is  a  wine- 
bibber,^  and,  worst  of  all,  he  is  a  friend  of  publicans 
and  sinners.  He  is  a  regular  man  of  the  world  and 
no  ecclesiastic  and  certainly  not  religious.  He  is  an 
unsafe  man  in  religion  and  morals."  Jesus  was  not 
over-sensitive  to  criticism,  and  he  does  not  mention 
the  pitiful  narrowness  of  the  Pharisees  because  he  was 
unduly  irritated.  He  is  not  ashamed  of  being  the 
friend  of  publicans  and  sinners.  It  is  one  of  the  chief 
glories  of  Jesus  that  he  could  reach  the  lost,  and  he 
knew  it  and  claimed  it.^  The  term  "friend"  is  here 
"used  in  a  sinister  sense,  and  implies  that  Jesus  was 
the  comrade  of  the  worst  of  characters,  and  like  them 
in  conduct.  A  malicious  nick-name  at  first,  it  is  now 
a  name  of  honour  :  the  sinner's  lover.  The  Son  of 
Man  takes  these  calumnies  as  a  thing  of  course  and 
goes  on  His  gracious  way."  * 

1  <f)ayo<;  equals  eater,  but  they  mean  "eater"  with  emphasis,  a  voracious 
gormandizer. 

2  oii/oTT-oTTj?  equals  drinker  of  wine.  The  light  wine  used  at  that  time 
was  generally  mixed  with  water  and  was  about  as  strong  as  our  tea  or 
coffee.     Cf.  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  244. 

3  Luke  5:31f.;   15:  1-32. 

!  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  p.  175  f. 


APPRECIATION  251 

7.  The  Consolation. — What  is  one  to  do  about  such 
a  situation?  John  had  gone  boldly  about  and  done 
his  duty.  He  has  not  escaped  trouble,  but  he  did 
right  and  his  vindication  will  come.  The  course  of 
Jesus  spoke  for  itself.  He  was  certainly  not  pander- 
ing to  popular  favor  nor  to  ecclesiastical  power.  He 
was  not  seeking  to  curry  favor  with  the  rulers  nor  to 
excite  the  prejudices  of  the  masses.  In  the  case  of 
both  John  and  Jesus  "wisdom  is  justified  by  her 
works."  ^  So  the  true  text  in  Matthew  reads.^  Luke^ 
has  it :  "  Wisdom  is  justified  of  all  her  children."  In 
Luke  the  children  who  are  wise  are  the  ones  who  jus- 
tify wisdom.  The  foolish  children  will  carp  and 
criticise  as  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers  have  done 
toward  John  and  Jesus.  But  the  faithful  minority 
welcome  John  and  Jesus.  The  report  in  Matthew 
puts  the  emphasis  on  the  works  done  by  the  children 
of  wisdom.  It  is  the  appeal  to  fruit  which  was  in- 
sisted on  by  both  John^  and  Jesus. ^  In  the  long  run 
wisdom  is  justified  by  the  life  and  deeds  of  those  who 
practise  the  truth .^  Wisdom  is  here  personified  as  in 
the  Wisdom  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.^  But,  even 
if  "children"  be  the  right  meaning  in  Matthew,  it 
does  not  mean  that  wisdom  is  justified  from  the  at- 
tacks of  her  children.  The  true  idea  is  that  the 
method  of  John  and  that  of  Jesus  are  both  justified 
by  results.^     It  is  not  likely  that  Jesus  is  here  quoting 

^  Matt.  11  :  19.      e^KcaiwiJij  jj  vo^ia.  aTrb  tJjv  epyw;' avT^S. 

2  Many  manuscripts  read  TeVvwv  as  in  Luke,  but  nB  have  epy<av. 

3  7  :  36.  *  Matt.  3:8.  s  Matt.  7 :  20. 
6  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

1  Of.  Prov.  8,  9.     So  Sirach  24;  Wisdom  of  Solomon  6-8. 
*  Piummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  163. 


252  JOHxN  THE  LOYAL 

from  his  critics  who  sneered  at  his  followers  with  the 
remark  that  time  would  tell  how  they  would  hold  out.^ 
That  is,  alas,  too  often  the  case.  Jesus  speaks  of  the 
matter  as  already  a  fact.^  It  is  always  true,  and  cer- 
tain to  be  so  in  the  case  of  those  who  have  taken  the 
side  of  John  and  Jesus  against  the  Pharisees.  The 
word  "  justify '^  here  is  the  one  so  freely  used  by  Paul 
with  the  notion  of  declaring  one  righteous.  Wisdom 
will  be  pronounced  right  in  the  end.  Folly  may  usurp 
the  leadership  for  a  time,  but  in  the  very  nature  of  things 
that  situation  of  things  cannot  last.  John  had  friends 
in  spite  of  the  ill-fortune  that  had  come  upon  him. 
These  men  are  the  wise  ones.  Time  has  rolled  on. 
Where  to-day  is  the  man  who  will  stand  up  for  the 
Pharisees  and  lawyers  against  John  and  Jesus  ?  The 
verdict  of  history  is  with  John  and  Jesus.  The  men 
who  do  a  wrong  to  gain  a  temporary  triumph  have  a 
short-lived  glory.  The  courage  of  John  and  of  Jesus 
in  the  midst  of  opposition  and  misrepresentation  is  an 
inspiration  to  every  exponent  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness. "Every  sort  of  preacher  will  be  found  fault 
with  by  the  ungodly  world;  but  every  truly  devout 
and  wise  preacher  will  be  justified  by  the  effects  of 
his  ministry."  ^  The  true  preacher  to-day  must  have 
the  vision  of  Moses  who  "looked  away^  unto  the 
recompense  of  reward,"  "accounting  the  reproach  of 
Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  Egypt," 
who  "endured,  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible."  ^     He 

*  Bruce,  "  Luke,"  in  loco,  opposes  this  notion  of  Bornemann. 

2  e8i(caiwt?Tj.     Timeless  aorist. 

3  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  245. 

<  aiti^kenev  equals  kept  looking  away  (imperfect).  ^  Heb.  11 :  26  f. 


APPRECIATIOxN  253 

may  get  a  living  from  the  children  of  wisdom  or  he 
may  not,  for  even  they  are  fickle  and  not  always  re- 
sponsive, but  he  must  sustain  himself  by  the  con- 
sciousness of  duty  done  and  the  approval  of  Jesus. 
The  spiritual  conception  of  life,  the  constant  vision  of 
the  unseen  God,  is  the  chief  incentive  to  work  in  the 
ministry,  the  chief  reward  for  the  privations  inevita- 
bly experienced.  The  people  grow  dull  and  listless. 
"One  day  it  is  too  hot,  another  too  cold;  one  church 
is  too  empty,  another  too  full;  one  preacher  is  too 
learned,  another  not  learned  enough,  one  congrega- 
tion is  too  genteel,  another  too  common."  ^  The 
people  may  be  fickle,  but  the  preacher  must  be  faith- 
ful.    Jesus  knows  all  about  that  problem. 

1  stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  257. 


CHAPTER  XI 

MARTYRDOM 

"Give  me  here  in  a  charger  the  head  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist" (Matt.  14:8). 

1.  Herodias  Biding  Her  Time. — Luke*  mentions 
the  bare  fact  of  the  death  of  John  in  connection  with 
its  influence  on  Herod  Antipas.  The  details  of  this 
terrible  tragedy  are  told  with  more  fulness  by  Mark,^ 
who  is  followed  in  briefer  form  by  Matthew.^  But 
for  superstitious  fears  of  Herod  about  Jesus  as  John 
redivivus  we  might  have  no  report  of  the  details  of 
John's  death  in  the  gospels.^  It  is  a  horrible  story, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  worst  that  befell  John. 
There  was  no  change  in  the  attitude  of  Herodias 
toward  him.  With  the  persistence  and  stealth  of  a 
tigress  she  watched  for  her  opportunity.  She  was 
sure  that  it  would  come.  Herod  at  times  had  "the 
murderous  mood,"  ^  but  it  vanished  with  him  under 
nobler  impulses.  With  Herodias  it  did  not  vanish. 
It  was  her  settled  purpose,*^  "  and  she  desired  ^  to  kill 
him."  In  the  nature  of  the  case  there  could  be  but 
one  issue  in  this  matter  when  a  furious  woman  like 

1  9  :  7-9.  2  6  :  14-29.  »  14  :  1-12. 

*  Bruce,  "Mark,"  in  loco.  » Ibid. 

6  Mark  6 :  19.     Whether  we  supply  x^^o"  vvith  evelxev  (equals  had  a 
grudge)  or  not  (equals  fixed  hate). 

7  ^de\fy.     Imperfect. 

254 


MARTYRDOM  255 

Herodlas  was  bent  on  John's  blood.  Her  only  ob- 
stacle was  Herod  himself,  who  was  enamoured  of  her. 
He  was  too  weak  to  stand  out  against  the  will  of  his 
wife.  It  may  be  placed,  however,  to  the  credit  of 
Herod  that  he  resisted  her  direct  attacks  in  spite  of 
impulses  to  yield. ^  The  convenient  day^  came  on  the 
birthday^  of  Herod.  Herod  may  have  felt  that  he 
had  to  make  public  announcement  of  his  marriage 
with  Herodias  on  this  occasion.*  Herodias  may  have 
feared  that  on  this  occasion  Herod  might  fall  again 
under  the  spell  of  John's  power  and  yield  to  his  advice 
and  dismiss  her  from  court  in  disgrace.  The  feast 
was  to  be  celebrated  at  the  palace  at  Machserus, 
Herod  may  have  chosen  this  palace  for  the  celebration 
partly  because  it  had  recently  belonged  to  Aretas,  the 
father  of  his  former  wife.  That  may  have  been  the 
plan  of  Herodias  to  give  a  little  added  sting  to  the 
daughter  of  Aretas,  whom  she  had  displaced.  Here 
then  are  assembled  at  Herod's  invitation  "his  lords 
and  the  high  captains  and  the  chief  men  of  Galilee."  ^ 
They  were  the  magnates,  the  military  officers  and  the 
men  of  importance.®  It  was  a  splendid  gathering  of 
the  grandees  of  Galilee.  It  was  in  itself  a  defiance  of 
John,  for  the  feast  in  the  palace  was  not  far  from 
John's  prison.     Did  Johii  suspect  the  crisis  in  his 

1  Geike,  "Life  and  Words  of  Jesus,"  vol.  I,  p.  429. 

2  rifiepa^  evKaipov.      Mark  6  :  21. 

'  ToZs  yevetrioii.  Cf .  Gen.  40 :  20  ft.  In  Attic  Greek  to.  yeve^Xia  was  the 
word  used  for  offerings  on  birthdays  and  then  for  birthdays,  to.  veveVia 
being  used  for  offerings  for  the  dead.  But  in  the  later  Greek  vei/eo-ia  is 
used  for  birthdays  also. 

*  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  439. 

^  Mark  6  :  21.  rots  /u.€7t<TTa<rii'  avTou  Kal  tois  x^^tapx*"''  ''«'«•  """ots  Trpoirois  t^s 
Pa^iAata?. 

6  Cf.  Acts  26  :  1  ff. 


256  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

affairs?  At  any  rate  Herodias  was  more  than  ever 
on  the  alert  and  was  determined  that  John  should 
be  gotten  out  of  the  way.  His  very  presence  at 
Machserus  was  intolerable. 

2.  The  Dance  of  Herodias. — The  main  function  in 
the  celebration  of  the  birthday  festivities  was  the 
dinner.*  The  guests  had  eaten  much  and  drunk  the 
various  wines.  Herod  himself,  as  host  and  as  the 
one  in  whose  honor  the  feast  was  given,  had  to  lead  in 
the  potations.  Herodias  had  laid  her  plans  well. 
"The  vulture  was  swooping  on  her  prey."  ^  "As  the 
procession  wound  up  the  mountain  pass,  with  the 
bravery  of  nuptial  banners  and  music,  and  while 
Roman  officers  with  flashing  armour  and  plumed 
helmets  rode  as  body-guard  of  the  princesses,  and 
all  the  grandees  and  wealthy  lords  of  Galilee  and 
Perea  were  gathering  from  various  approaches  to  this 
eagle's  eyrie,  and  when  the  garrison  stood  forth  and 
presented  arms  as  the  great  nobles  entered  the  gates, 
and  the  city  crowd  of  many  tribes — among  them 
Greeks  and  Bedouins,  white-robed  Essenes  and  Ori- 
ental traffickers,  priests  and  Levites  from  Jerusalem, 
and  disciples  of  the  prophet  eager  for  his  release — 
sent  up  their  shout  of  welcome;  accustomed  as  men 
in  that  age  were  to  deeds  of  vengeance  and  blood,  it 
could  hardly  have  occurred  to  any  that  the  veiled 
ladies  of  the  court  were  revolving  a  murderous  plot, 
as  godless  and  foul  as  any  that  had  already  stained  the 

1  Selnvov.  It  was  in  the  evening,  but  tlie  formal  dinner.  Cf.  the  dinner 
by  Herod  Agrippa  I  to  the  Emperor  Caius  in  order  to  win  a  favor  (Jose- 
phus,  "Ant.,"  xviii,  8,  7). 

2  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  440. 


MARTYRDOM  257 

annals  of  the  house  of  Herod."  ^  And  now  the  hour 
has  come.  Herodias  had  to  stoop  to  the  very  depths 
of  degradation  in  order  to  carry  her  point.  But  she 
had  become  desperate  and  her  very  nearness  to  John 
probably  irritated  her  beyond  endurance.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  John  may  have  heard  the  sound  of  revelry. 
One  is  reminded  of  the  feast  of  Belteschazzar^  and  the 
handwriting  on  the  wall.  Herodias  was  willing  to  use 
the  physical  charms  of  her  own  daughter  by  her 
former  husband/  Herod  Philip,  to  gain  her  purpose. 
When  maudlin  with  drink  she  knew  that  Herod  would 
prove  an  easy  mark  to  the  lascivious  dance  which  she 
had  trained  Salome  to  execute.  It  was  and  is  a  com- 
mon Oriental  custom^  to  have  dancing-girls  come  in 
at  the  close  of  the  feast  and  dance  for  the  delectation 
of  the  guests.  Jewish  maidens  had  danced  of  old  at 
times  of  public  rejoicing  with  no  thought  of  disgrace, 
but  this  was  a  religious  act.^  The  Greeks  had  their 
hetaircB^  who  performed  at  such  functions,  and  finally 
the  Romans  fell  in  with  the  ways  of  the  voluptuous 
East.  But  a  Latin  inscription  reads  :  "  It  was  dis- 
graceful both  to  dance  and  for  a  virgin  to  come  into 
the  banqueting-hall  to  men  who  had  drank  freely."  ^ 
It  would  have  been  demoniacal  enough  for  Herodias 
to  have  hired  a  professional  dancing-girl,  whose  char- 

»  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  440  f.  2  Dan.  5. 

3  The  reading  ttjs  d-vyarph^  avrov  'Hpa.5ia6os  (equals  his  daughter  Hero- 
dias) is  accepted  by  Westcott  and  Hort.  If  true,  it  can  mean  only  his 
daughter  by  marriage  (step-daughter)  and  that  she  was  named  Herodias 
as  well  as  Salome. 

^  Cf.  the  Hindoo  nautch-girls. 

6  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  318.  Cf.  Ex.  15  :  20;  I  Sam.  18  :  6;  II  Sam. 
6  :  21. 

6  eratpai.     Public  characters  like  the  Japanese  geisha  girls. 

7  Quoted  by  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  318. 


258  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

acter  and  reputation  were  already  lost,  to  come  and 
make  the  licentious  dance  for  the  purpose  of  over- 
coming Herod  with  her  charms.  But  the  very  bottom 
of  iniquity  is  reached  when  Herodias  prostitutes  her 
own  daughter  to  that  foul  purpose.  It  is  an  unspeak- 
able commentary  on  the  corruption  of  the  times,  and 
more  than  justifies  all  that  John  the  Baptist  had  ever 
said  about  her  if  it  needs  any  justification  in  any  one's 
mind.  The  daughter  had  been  thoroughly  drilled  in 
her  part,  perhaps  only  too  willing  a  victim,  for  she  was 
the  daughter  of  her  mother.  At  the  proper  moment 
Salome  was  to  come  to  Herodias  for  further  instruc- 
tions, when  once  she  has  Herod  in  her  power.  That 
is  not  all,  however,  bad  as  it  is  now.  By  the  marriage  of 
Herodias  with  Herod  the  daughter  is  a  member  of  the 
court.  She  was  already  a  princess  of  royal  blood,  a 
great-granddaughter  of  Herod  the  Great.  The  mali- 
ciousness of  Herodias  would  not  brook  defeat.  She 
was  willing  to  stoop  to  any  humiliation  in  order  to 
conquer.  "The  music  and  the  wine  and  the  laugh- 
ter are  all  at  their  height,  and  the  sounds  of  the  rev- 
elry reverberate  through  the  marble  corridors.  Purple 
shadows  of  the  mountain  peaks  are  beginning  to  fall 
across  the  deep  ravines,  and  to  shroud  the  towers  of 
the  fortress  in  their  gloom."  ^  Then  at  the  auspicious 
moment,  long  planned  by  Herodias,  "  the  daughter  of 
Herodias  herself  came  in  and  danced."  ^  Matthew^ 
remarks  that  she  "danced  in  the  midst,"  right  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  company.  The  dance  was  a 
bewildering  success  from  the  point  of  Herodias,  and 

1  Reynolds,  "  John  the  Baptist,"  p.  441.        2  Mark  6 :  22.        3 14  ;  6. 


MARTYRDOM  259 

Salome  "pleased  Herod  and  them  that  sat  at  meat 
with  him."  ^  Herod  became  oblivious  of  the  fact  that 
it  was  his  wife's  daughter  who  had  shown  such  be- 
wildering grace  and  "daredevil  sauciness."  ^  The 
guests  greeted  her  performance  with  tumultuous  ap- 
plause. Herod  is  now  excited  beyond  all  bounds. 
The  girl  dances  on  and  the  half-drunken  crowd  be- 
come tempestuous  with  excitement.  Herod  is  wholly 
in  the  girFs  power.  "  Ask  of  me  whatsoever  thou  wilt, 
and  I  will  give  it  thee."  Apparently  Salome  ignores 
his  remark  and  dances  away.  Herod  probably  leaps 
up.  At  any  rate  he  now  swears  to  her:  "Whatsoever 
thou  shalt  ask  of  me,  I  will  give  it  thee,  unto  the  half 
of  my  kingdom."  ^  Perhaps  Herod  in  his  drunken 
excitement  is  reminded  of  Esther  and  Ahasuerus.  He 
feels  his  own  importance  and  is  grandiloquent  in  his 
generosity.  It  was  the  custom  for  the  dancing-girls 
on  such  occasions  to  receive  presents.  Herod  will  be 
equal  to  the  occasion  and  will  reward  such  magnificent 
dancing.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  could  not  give  away 
a  bit  of  his  kingdom  without  the  consent  of  Caesar. 
Mark  ^  here  calls  Herod  "  king,"  and  Herod  speaks  of 
his  "kingdom."  That  was  common  usage,  a  matter 
of  courtesy,  not  meant  to  be  taken  literally.  But 
Herod  had  made  his  promise,  a  public  promise,  and 
with  an  oath.     This  was  the  victory. 

3.   The  Demand  of  Herodias. — Salome  knew  well 
how  to  play  her  part.     At  this  juncture  "  she  went  out, 

1  Mark  6  :  22.     Reclined,  o-uvavaKei/oteVois,  according  to  Oriental  custom. 

2  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  267. 

3  Mark  6  :  23.     One  thinks  of  Esther  .5  :  3  f . 

*  6  :  22  f.     Cf.  Matt.  14  :  9.     Cf.  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  pp.  229  f. 


260  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  said  to  her  mother,  ^Vhat  shall  I  ask?"  *  Hero- 
dias  had  herself  remained  outside  of  the  hall,  not  to 
betray  her  hand  too  clearly.  The  ladies  were  not  ex- 
pected in  the  banqueting-hall.  Matthew^  says  that 
Salome,  "being  put  forward  by  her  mother,"  made 
her  request  at  once.  There  is  no  contradiction  here. 
Matthew  merely  passes  by  the  detail  of  the  visit  out- 
side to  her  mother.  It  was  all  done  in  a  moment. 
The  spell  must  not  be  broken.  Herodias  did  not 
need  time  for  reflection.  She  had  only  to  say,  "The 
head  of  John  the  Baptist."  Her  hour  had  come  at 
last.  She  had  waited  long  for  triumph  and  now  it 
was  at  hand.  She  would  soon  see  the  silent  lips  that 
would  never  more  malign  her.  Salome  "came  in 
straightway  with  haste."  ^  There  was  no  time  to 
lose.  The  fires  of  drink  and  passion  must  not  be 
allowed  to  cool.  The  conscience  of  Herod  must  not 
be  given  a  chance  to  get  control  of  him.  The  daughter 
of  Herodias  was  not  apparently  abashed  by  the  hor- 
rible request  of  her  mother.  She  evidently  knew  her 
mother  well.  Indeed,  Salome  acted  with  so  much 
glee  that  she  probably  shared  her  mother's  resent- 
ment against  John,  and  was  glad  of  the  chance  to  put 
him  out  of  the  way.  Whether  she  was  in  her  mother's 
secret  before  this  moment  is  not  made  clear.  But, 
when  she  hears  her  mother's  word,  she  does  not  hesi- 
tate. She  said  with  unblushing  effrontery  to  Herod 
Antipas :  "  I  will  that  thou  give  me  forthwith  in  a 
charger  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist."  *     She  wishes 

'  Mark  6  :  24.  2  14:  8.     irpopt^aadelaa.  3  Mark  6  :  25. 

f  Mark  6  :  25.     Of.  Luke  11 :  39  for  "charger,"  enl  nCvaKi  here. 


MARTYRDOM  261 

the  head  "forthwith."  She  has  taken  Herod  at  his 
word.  "In  hotter  haste  than  Herodias  herself  she 
seeks  to  clutch  the  ghastly  trophy  of  her  rage  and 
spite."  ^  She  was  apparently  glad  also  to  show  her 
power  over  her  step-father/  this  "wretched  offspring 
of  the  once  noble  Maccabees,"  "out  of  whom  all 
maidenhood  and  all  princeliness  have  been  brazed  by 
a  degenerate  mother."  ^  Did  a  shiver  run  through 
the  crowd  of  men  that  so  beautiful  a  girl  could  be  so 
blood-thirsty?  It  was  enough  to  bring  them  all  to 
their  senses. 

4.  The  Maudlin  Acquiescence  of  Herod. — He  was 
squarely  caught  in  the  trap  set  by  Herodias.  He  was 
tipsy,  but  he  knew  that  he  would  be  the  butt  of  ridicule. 
He  was  not  willing  to  face  the  laugh  of  his  companions. 
He  cared  more  for  what  people  would  say  of  him  than 
for  what  was  right  or  wrong.  He  belongs  to  that  class 
"to  whom  a  breach  of  the  decalogue  is  less  dreadful 
than  a  breach  of  etiquette."  ^  Herod^s  sorrow^  was 
probably  sincere.  John  had  made  a  marvellous  im- 
pression upon  the  mind  and  conscience  of  this  un- 
principled ruler.®  His  perplexity  now  reached  a  cul- 
mination. He  feared  the  multitude.  He  knew  that 
it  was  wrong,  and,  what  was  worse,  that  it  would 
be  unpopular,  for  the  people  counted  John  as  a 
prophet.^  So  Herod  did  not  join  in  the  laughter  of 
the  revellers  at  "  the  pretty  wickedness"  ^  of  the  merry 

'  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  442. 

2  Swete,  "Mark,"  in  loco. 

3  Edersheim,  "Life  and  Times,"  vol.  I,  p.  672. 
*  Plummer,  "  Matthew,"  p.  202. 

^  nepiKvnoi  ycvoftevoi.  ^  Mark  6  :  20. 

7  Matt.  14  :  5.     Of.  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  320. 

8  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  268. 


262  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

dancer.  He  is  probably  superstitious  and  hesitates  at 
such  a  cold-blooded  murder,  but  he  has  "a  nest  of 
scorpions  in  his  bosom."  ^  But  what  he  dreaded 
most  of  all  was  Herodias,  "  the  blood-thirsty  Fury/'  ^ 
whom  he  must  meet.  She  would  tell  him  that  he 
had  violated  a  gentleman's  "code  of  honor"  ^  and 
was  beneath  contempt.  He  had  not  kept  his  word, 
his  promise,  his  oath.  So,  while  the  girl  wfeits  for  her 
reward,^  he  trembles  for  a  moment  in  sore  distress 
between  the  disgrace  that  was  inevitable,  if  he  refused 
to  stand  by  his  word,  and  the  dread  of  John  and  his 
own  conscience,  if  he  yielded  to  the  demand  of  Hero- 
dias through  Salome.  Fear  conquered,  and  he  caught 
at  his  oath  as  his  excuse.  "  For  the  sake  of  his  oath, 
and  of  them  that  sat  at  meat,  he  would  not  reject  her."  ^ 
He  was  afraid  to  give  Salome  a  public  slight®  and  add 
her  fury  to  that  of  Herodias.  A  rash  promise  better 
broken  than  kept.  So  he  gave  the  order  for  a  soldier^ 
of  his  guard  to  bring  in  John's  head.  This  soldier 
was  a  sort  of  spy  or  scout  kept  to  be  on  the  lookout 
like  a  picket  or  to  carry  messages.  It  is  sometimes 
objected  that  Herod  could  not  have  given  such  a  com- 
mand at  such  a  time,  but  Broadus^  reminds  us  that 
"  Herodias'  ancestor,  Alexander  Jannaeus,  while  hold- 
ing a  feast  with  his  concubines,  commanded  eight  hun- 

1  Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist,"  p.  442. 

2  Stalker.  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  268. 

3  Smith,  "Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  230.     Cf.  "Herod.,"  ix,  109;    Ovid. 
"Met.,"  ii,  44-52;    "Jud.,"  xi,  30-35. 

*  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  320. 
6  Mark  6  :  26.  Cf.  Matt.  14  :  9. 
fi  adeTTia-ai  equals  Set  aside. 

'' aneKovkaTopa  equals  Latin  "speculator."     Cf.  Greek  vKimonai.     No- 
where else  in  New  Testament. 

8  "Matthew,"  p.  320.     Cf.  Josephus,  "Ant.,"  xiii,  14,  2. 


MARTYRDOM  263 

dred  rebels  to  be  crucified  in  full  view,  and  their  wives 
and  children  to  be  slain  before  their  eyes." 

5.  The  Death  of  John. — The  gospels  have  drawn 
the  veil  of  silence  over  this  dreadful  scene/  Mark 
merely  states  the  melancholy  fact :  *'  And  beheaded 
him  in  the  prison."  But  our  thoughts  inevitably  turn 
from  the  revelry  and  horror  of  the  banqueting-hall  to 
the  cell  of  John  the  Baptist.  He  doubtless  knew  of 
the  presence  of  his  enemies  in  the  palace  by  the  glitter 
and  glare  of  the  festival.  Sounds  of  laughter  and  of 
applause  may  have  reached  his  ears.  Was  John 
asleep  when  the  scout  came  to  the  door  of  his  dungeon  ? 
It  was  now  doubtless  far  into  the  night.  Was  he  be- 
headed in  his  sleep?  Did  he  go  to  sleep  never  to 
w^ake  again  on  earth,  but  to  awaken  in  heaven? 
That  is  possible.  He  may  have  been  hurriedly  awa- 
kened and  then  beheaded.^  If  so,  "when  the  appa- 
rition of  death  confronted  John  so  suddenly,  how  did  he 
receive  it ?"  ^  Did  he  still  have  his  great  doubt*  about 
Jesus  ?  Did  he  feel  the  love  of  life  that  is  natural  in 
one  so  young  ?  Is  it  not  possible,  yea,  probable,  that 
the  message  of  Jesus  in  reply  to  John's  pathetic  ap- 
peal had  removed  ^  the  last  lingering  doubt  ?  He 
had  been  in  prison  more  than  a  year,  but  his  death 
was  sudden  after  all.  In  the  case  of  Paul  it  was 
different.  Paul  was  an  old  man,  and  he  felt  sure  that 
his  work  was  accomplished.  He  faced  death  with 
calmness  and  content.     He  knew  his  fate.     We  have 

'  Swete,  "Mark,"  in  loco. 

2  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  320. 

3  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  269.  *  lUd.,  p.  269. 
6  Broadus,  "  Matthew ^"  p.  320. 


264  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

no  word  from  John  as  to  his  own  emotions  and  out- 
look. Had  Herod  given  him  a  word  of  hope  ?  John 
must  have  looked  death  in  the  face  many  a  time  dur- 
ing the  long  year  of  his  confinement.  Perhaps  at 
times  he  may  have  longed  for  it  to  come.  It  is  not 
dreadful  to  die  suddenly  "if  one  has  lived  the  life  of 
faith."  ^  Did  John  know  that  Herodias  was  respon- 
sible for  his  death  ?  Let  us  hope  that  he  did  not  know 
that  a  lewd  dancing-girl,  though  of  royal  blood,  had 
literally  danced  his  head  off.  The  head  of  the  greatest 
of  the  prophets  fell  as  the  price  of  the  rude  oath  of  a 
Herod  in  a  tipsy  mood  to  his  voluptuous  charmer. 
The  scene  is  inconceivably  horrible.  We  turn  away 
from  it  in  revolt.  And  yet  "  this  murder  of  the  great- 
est of  the  prophets  was  in  itself  hardly  so  shocking  a 
sight  as  the  scene  yonder  in  the  banqueting-hall."  ^ 

6.  The  Gift  to  Herodias. — The  disgusting  demand 
was  carried  out  to  the  letter.  The  scout  of  Herod 
brought  the  head  of  John  on  a  charger.  ''  There  stood 
the  maiden,  her  cheek  still  flushed  with  her  recent 
exertion,  while  the  guests  sought  to  drown  their  pain- 
ful emotions  in  wine."  ^  The  executioner  comes  in 
with  his  ghastly  trophy*  to  present  to  the  fair  damsel. 
She  acts  her  part  out  probably  with  the  same  gay  and 
flippant  manner  that  marked  her  dancing  and  her 
demoniacal  request.^  The  soldier  passed  it  on  to 
Salome  "  and  she  brought  it  to  her  mother."  ^  She 
bore  it  as  a  treasure.     Mark^  adds  simply  :  "  And  the 

»  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  320.  ^  Ihid.  *  Ibid. 

*  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  230. 

6  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  268. 

"Matt.  14:  11.  '6:28. 


MARTYRDOM  2G5 

damsel  gave  it  to  her  mother."  What  a  gift,  this  noble 
head  dripping  with  blood!  Salome  no  doubt  "took 
it  daintily  in  her  hands  lest  a  drop  of  blood  should  stain 
her  gala  dress,  and  tripped  away  to  her  mother,  as  if 
bearing  her  some  choice  dish  of  food  from  the  king's 
table."  *  The  victor  often  had  the  head  of  his  fallen 
foe  brought  before  him.  The  ancient  civilizations  had 
not  gotten  beyond  that  species  of  barbarism  which  is 
still  practised  by  modern  savages.  Fulvia,  the  wife 
of  Antony,  spat  upon  Cicero's  head,  drew  out  the  once 
eloquent  tongue  and  pierced  it  repeatedly  with  her 
.hair-pin.  That  tongue  would  never  denounce  her 
nor  her  husband  again.^  We  do  not  know  how 
Herodias  behaved.  It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  her 
look  of  triumph  as  her  eyes  flashed  satisfaction  upon 
the  mouth  that  had  denounced  her  sins,  the  eyes  that 
had  made  her  cower  with  dread  and  hate.  Jerome,^ 
indeed,  tells  a  story  of  the  way  in  which  Herodias  took 
her  bodkin  and  pricked  the  tongue  of  John,  the  tongue 
that  now  could  rebuke  her  no  more.  It  is  probably 
a  mere  tradition,  but  Herodias  was  none  too  good  to 
do  such  a  thing  in  the  first  moments  of  her  passion. 
It  would  be  so  Roman,  besides,  and  she  had  lived  in 
Rome.  She  has  triumphed  over  the  mighty  preacher 
before  whose  voice  a  nation  once  quailed.  "She  re- 1 
mained  Herod's  evil  genius  to  the  end.  The  death  of 
the  Baptist  filled  the  tetrarch's  subjects  with  horror."  * 

'  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  320.  Salome  afterward  married  her  uncle, 
Philip  the  Tetrarch,  and,  according  to  legend,  died  from  a  fall  on  the  ice. 
Of.  "Niceph."  I,  20. 

2  Cf .  Broadus,  "  Matthew,"  p.  320;  Stalker,  "  The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  268. 

» Contra  Rufin.,  c.  11,  quoted  by  Witsius.  Cf.  Reynolds,  "John  the 
Baptist,"  p.  443. 

<  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  269. 


266  JOHN  THE   LOYAL 

Aretas  made  war  on  Herod  for  his  treatment  of  his 
daughter  and  Herod  was  defeated.  Some  of  the 
Jews  "thought  that  the  destruction  of  Herod's  army 
came  from  God,  and  that  very  justly,  as  a  punishment 
of  what  he  did  against  John."  ^  Herodias's  turn  will 
come.  Some  ten  years  afterward,  when  her  scape- 
grace brother  Agrippa  is  appointed  by  the  Emperor 
Caligula  to  be  king  of  the  tetrarchy  of  Philip,  she  is  so 
envious  that  she  gives  Herod  Antipas  no  rest  till  they 
go  to  Rome  to  demand  the  title  of  king  for  Herod. 
But  Agrippa  makes  counter-charges  so  that  they  are 
sent  in  banishment  and  disgrace  to  Gaul  or  Spain.^ 
Herodias  is  now  in  her  glory.  She  cares  naught  for 
the  shame  of  her  daughter  nor  for  the  embarrassment 
of  Herod.  She  has  carried  her  point  and  has  a 
Satanic  delight  in  that.  "They  did  unto  him  what- 
soever they  would."  ^  John  has  met  his  turn.  That 
of  Jesus  will  come  next.  "Even  so  shall  the  Son  of 
Man  also  suffer  of  them."  ^ 

7.  The  Burial. — "And  his  disciples  came  and  took 
up  the  corpse,  and  buried  him."  ^  These  disciples 
were  probably  on  the  hill  at  the  time,  though  it  is  not 
certain.  One  may  at  least  hope  so,  for  otherwise  the 
headless  body  of  the  Baptist  lay  all  night  and  most  of 
the  next  day  in  neglect  in  the  dungeon.  But  John's 
disciples  did  hear^  of  the  tragedy.  The  news  would 
spread  quickly  all  over  the  palace.  It  was  a  melan- 
choly duty,  but  these  disciples  were  loyal  to  John  as 

>  Josephus,  "  Ant.,"  xviii,  5,  2. 

2  Josephus.  "Ant.,"  xviii,  7,  2;  "War,"  ii,  9,  6.  Smith  ("Days  of  His 
Flesh,"  p.  230)  calls  Herodias  "that  she-devil." 

3  Mark  9  :  13.  «  Matthew,  17  :  12. 
6  Matt.  14  :  12.  «  Mark  6  :  29. 


MARTYRDOM  267 

he  was  loyal  to  Jesus.  They  laid  his  body  in  a  tomb/ 
probably  in  one  of  the  rock-hewn  tombs  around  Ma- 
chserus.  There  is  a  late  story  that  John's  body  was 
found  at  Sebaste  (Samaria),  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor 
Julian,  when  his  bones  were  burnt  and  most  of  the 
dust  scattered  by  the  pagan  party,  the  rest  being  kept 
by  the  Christians  as  relics.^  But  little  credence  is  to 
be  placed  in  that  report.  It  is  not  inconceivable  that 
disciples  of  John  may  have  removed  the  body  of  their 
Master  from  Machserus.  If  the  burial  was  at  Ma- 
chserus,  it  was  probably  hurried.  John's  disciples 
would  be  too  dazed  for  utterance.  He  has  been 
cut  down  in  his  prison,  but  his  life  was  not  in  vain. 
Courage  and  humility  were  combined  in  John  in  a 
remarkable  way.  He  practised  self-denial,  not  merely 
preached  it  for  others.  "Had  his  honors  been  ten 
thousand  times  brighter  than  they  were,  he  would 
have  laid  them  all  at  Christ's  feet.  John  in  his  min- 
istry was  not  like  the  evening  star — sinking  into  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  but  like  the  morning  star — lost 
to  our  view  in  the  brightness  of  day."  ^  They  have 
killed  him,  but  at  the  cost  of  eternal  infamy  to  them- 
selves, the  execration  of  mankind,  misery  untold  to 
their  own  hearts  and  lives.  The  blood  of  the  mar- 
tyrs is  the  seed  of  the  church.  In  one  sense  John  was 
the  first  of  the  Christian  martyrs,  though  Stephen  is 
usually  so  designated.*  He  has  met  death  in  the  path 
of  duty.  He  lived  like  a  saint,  he  preached  like  a 
prophet,  he  died  like  a  hero. 

2  Swete,  "Mark,"  in  loco.  s  Belfrage  in  Kitto. 

*  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  320. 


268  JOHN  THE  LOYAI 

8.  Telling  Jesus. — "  And  they  went  and  told  Jesus."  * 
They  knew  not  where  to  go  but  to  Jesus.  Not  long 
ago  John  himself  had  sent  two  of  them  to  Jesus  with 
a  message  of  doubt.  Now  they  bear  to  Jesus  the  word 
of  despair.  How  could  a  man  like  Herod  and  a 
woman  like  Herodias  be  allowed  to  slay  John  the 
Baptist?  The  mystery  of  evil  remains  unsolved.^ 
What  has  the  world  now  in  store  for  the  disciples  of 
John?  What  will  Jesus  say?  What  did  he  say? 
We  are  not  told.  But  Jesus  loved  John.  He  wept 
by  the  grave  of  Lazarus.  He  had  already  pronounced 
the  noblest  eulogy  on  John.  Did  he  not  drop  a  tear 
for  John,  whose  mission  was  so  closely  allied  to  his 
own  ?  Did  his  own  heart  not  grieve  at  the  dastardly 
deed  that  had  taken  John  away  in  such  lawless,  bar- 
barous fashion?  Did  he  not  speak  words  of  comfort 
to  the  sorrowing  disciples  of  John  ?  Did  he  not  draw 
them  closer  to  himself  ?  They  had  no  possible  grounds 
for  jealousy  now.  John's  momentary  doubt  had  van- 
ished. They  go  to  Jesus  with  '*  a  true  instinct."  ^ 
It  was  what  John  would  have  advised.  Indeed,  he 
may  have  told  them  what  to  do  in  case  the  inevitable 
end  came  suddenly  upon  him.  "  They  went  to  Jesus  " 
with  many  thoughts  on  all  the  wondrous  events  of  the 
last  few  years.  "  Ah,  blessed  road,  whereon  thousands 
upon  thousands  have  followed  them  since!  It  is  the 
right  road,  whatever  be  the  trouble."  ^  We  leave  Jesus 
with  memories  of  John,  with  prophecies  of  his  own 
fate.     He  was  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  his  great 

'  Matt.  14  :  12.      »cai  eXi^ovre?  aTrrjyyeiXav  Ta>  'Iij<rou. 

2  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns,"  p.  270.  » lUd. 

*lUd. 


,  MARTYRDOM  269 

Forerunner.  His  own  hour  was  hastening.  The 
clock  was  running  round  and  would  strike.  How 
little  the  people  understand  the  tragedy  of  soul  which 
is  going  on  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  as  he  steps  forward 
to  meet  his  cross.  Matthew^  represents  Jesus  as 
leaving  the  dominion  of  Herod  Antipas  as  soon  as  he 
heard  the  news  of  John's  death  :  "  Now  when  Jesus 
heard  it  he  withdrew  from  thence  in  a  boat  to  a  desert 
place  apart."  Jesus  went  into  the  tetrarchy  of  Herod 
Philip  and  is  in  Galilee  very  little  thereafter.  Ac- 
cording to  Mark  ^  Jesus  withdrew  after  hearing  the 
report  of  the  disciples  when  they  returned  from  their 
preaching  tour  over  Galilee.  The  two  events  prob- 
ably came  close  together.^  Herod  did  become  much 
concerned  about  the  work  of  Jesus  so  that  his  de- 
parture was  wise.* 

114:13.  2  6:30f. 

'  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  322;  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  inloco, 

*  Matt.  14  :  1  f.:  Mark  6 :  14:  Luke  9 :  7. 


CHAPTER  XII 

LINGERING  ECHOES 

"  John  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  repentance,  saying 
unto  the  people  that  they  should  believe  on  him  that 
should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Jesus"  (Acts  19  :  4). 

1.  A  Terror  to  Herod. — The  court  of  Herod  Antipas 
left  Machserus  after  the  birthday  festival  was  over. 
It  had  been  a  magnificent  occasion  with  lavish  extrav- 
agance and  splendor  of  entertainment.  The  dance 
of  Salome  had  given  a  peculiar  zest  to  the  celebra- 
tion and  was  for  long  the  talk  of  the  guests.  The 
daring  of  Herodias  and  her  daughter  in  demanding 
the  head  of  John  the  Baptist  was  something  of  a 
shock,  but,  the  grandees  argued,  one  must  get  used  to 
such  things  if  he  moved  in  court  circles.  He  must  not 
be  too  particular  nor  squeamish  about  small  matters. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  John  was  a  mere  adventurer,  a  re- 
ligious demagogue,  who  gained  his  importance  purely 
from  his  favor  with  the  masses.  It  was  for  this  reason 
that  Herod  had  wished  his  endorsement  of  the  mar- 
riage with  Herodias.  If  he  had  shut  his  eyes  to  that 
weakness  of  Herod  and  treated  it  as  un  fait  accompliy 
he  would  be  still  alive  and  the  people  would  have  fol- 
lowed him  in  his  endorsement  of  Herod's  marriage. 
Princes,  the  courtiers  would  argue,  cannot  be  held  to 

270 


LINGERING  ECHOES  271 

the  ordinary  rules  of  morality  to  which  other  people 
are  expected  to  conform.  One  in  court  circles  must 
have  a  blind  eye  to  many  things.  After  all  John  had 
brought  his  fate  on  himself  by  his  bluntness,  ill 
manners,  and  lack  of  common-sense.  He  had  no 
policy,  no  suavity,  no  spirit  of  accommodation.  It 
was  a  pity,  but  he  had  only  himself  to  blame  in  his 
resistance  to  the  will  of  Herodias.  Thus  the  flatterers 
of  Herod's  court  probably  argued  and  satisfied  them- 
selves with  little  regret  about  John.  The  actual  out- 
come was  rather  bad  in  its  details,  as  there  was  no 
formal  trial,  but  the  thing  had  happened,  and  now 

"  On  with  the  dance, 
Let  joy  be  unconfined." 

The  court  is  again  at  Tiberias  with  all  its  wonted 
brilliance. 

Herod  Antipas,  with  all  his  faults  and  sins,  was  not 
wholly  degenerate  as  was  Herodias.  Herod's  con- 
science still  worked  occasionally.  He  was  supersti- 
tious also.  John  had  troubled  him  while  in  prison. 
He  had  been  "much  perplexed"  ^  what  to  do  about 
him.  He  is  "much  perplexed"^  now  that  John  is 
dead.  Herod  had  John  on  the  brain.^  "It  is  said 
that  when  Theodoric  had  ordered  the  murder  of  Sym- 
machus,  he  was  haunted  and  finally  maddened  by  the 
phantom  of  the  old  man's  distorted  features  glaring 
at  him  from  a  dish  on  the  table;  nor  can  it  have  been 
otherwise   with   Herod  Antipas."  ^     In  spite   of  his 

1  Mark  6  :  20.      noWa  rjuopei. 

2  Luke  9  :  7.     SnjTrdpet.     Note  imperfect  tense  and  Sia. 
»  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

*  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  394. 


272  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

maudlin  condition  at  the  feast,  Herod  had  seen  the 
head  of  John  the  Baptist  on  the  charger.  He  saw  the 
sightless  eyes  many  a  night  as  they  glared  at  him  out 
of  the  darkness  from  the  foot  of  his  bed  and  charged 
him  with  the  murder  of  John.  He  could  still  hear 
that  wonderful  voice  as  it  accused  him  of  his  sins  of 
which  he  knew  his  guilt.  "If  we  mistake  not,  that 
dissevered  head  was  rarely  henceforth  absent  from 
Herod's  haunted  imagination  from  that  day  forward 
till  he  lay  upon  his  dying  bed."  ^  He  was  tasting  hell 
beforehand.  The  lashing  of  a  guilty  conscience  is 
hell. 

News  came  to  the  golden  palace  of  Herod  in  Tibe- 
rias about  a  new  prophet  in  Galilee.  Jesus  himself 
had  studiously  avoided  Tiberias,  Herod's  capital.  It 
may  seem  strange  that  Herod  had  not  heard  of  Jesus 
before  this  time.  In  reply  it  may  be  stated  that  Herod 
was  often  away  from  Tiberias  and  sometimes  outside 
of  his  own  dominions.  A  prince  often  knows  less 
about  what  is  going  on  than  his  subjects.^  He  may, 
in  truth,  have  heard  of  Jesus  in  an  incidental  way 
that  made  no  impression  on  him.  The  religious  move- 
ments among  his  people  probably  concerned  him  very 
little.  Jesus  had  been  actively  at  work  in  Galilee 
for  over  a  year.^  He  had  labored  all  over  Galilee, 
and  particularly  at  Bethsaida,  Capernaum,  Chorazin, 
which  places  were  not  far^  from  Tiberias.  It  was  not, 
however,  the  mere  fact  of  the  preaching  of  Jesus  or 
even  of  his  works  that  excited  at  this  time.     It  was 


»  Farrar,  "Life  of  Christ,"  vol.  I,  p.  394. 

2  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  200.  ^  Broadus,  "Matthew,"  p.  315. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  273 

the  explanation  of  the  power  of  Jesus  that  agitated 
him.  The  tour  of  the  twelve  apostles  was  just  com- 
pleted, and  much  talk  about  Jesus  was  the  result. 
People  were  trying  to  explain  Jesus.  The  Pharisees 
had  already  said  that  he  was  in  league  with  the  devil.^ 
But  the  masses  rightly  attributed  that  explanation  to 
jealousy.  Some  of  the  people  said  that  Jesus  was 
one  of  the  old  prophets  risen  again  to  life.^  The  peo- 
ple had  an  expectation  that  Jeremiah  would  return 
to  life.^  Others  thought  Jesus  a  prophet  equal  to 
any  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  "as  one  of  the 
prophets."  Some,  who  had  not  seen  that  John  the 
Baptist  was  Elijah  in  spirit  and  power,  and  who  ex- 
pected Elijah  back  in  person,  wondered  if  Jesus  might 
not  be  Elijah  himself.  "  It  is  Elijah,"  they  said.  He 
has  appeared  at  last.*  These  knew  that  John  had 
refused  to  be  identified  with  Elijah.  But  there  was  a 
group,  who  apparendy  knew  nothing  of  the  early 
ministry  of  Jesus  that  was  parallel  with  that  of  John, 
who  said:  "This  is  John  the  Baptist;  he  is  risen 
from  the  dead."  ^  There  is  a  late  story  to  the  effect 
that  Jesus  and  John  resembled  each  other  in  per- 
sonal appearance,  or  rather  Origen^  suggests  the  idea. 
John  wrought  no  miracles,  but  the  advocates  of  this 
view  used  the  miracles  of  Jesus  as  one  element  in  the 
proof  that  he  is  John  redivivus.  John  can  now  work 
so  many  and  such  wonderful  miracles  because  he  has 
come   back   from   the   grave.     "Therefore   do   these 

»  Matt.  12  :  24  f.  2  Mark  6  :  15;  Luke  9  :  8. 

3  Matt.  16  :  14.     Of.  Sirach  19  :  10  f.  f  Mark  6  :  15;  Luke  9  :  8. 

8  Matt.  14  :  2;  Mark  6  :  14;  Luke  9  :  7. 
»  On  John  6  :  30.     Cf.  his  notes  on  Matt.  10  :  20. 


274  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

powers  work  in  him."  ^  "The  powers  of  the  invisible, 
vast  and  vague  in  the  king's  imagination,"  ^  are  now 
at  work  in  John  who  has  come  to  life.  This  inter- 
pretation of  Jesus  is  what  stirred  Herod.  "John  I 
beheaded;  but  who  is  this  about  whom  I  hear  such 
things?"  ^  The  "I"  is  emphatic  in  the  Greek  :  "As 
for  John  I  beheaded  him."  *  Herod  is  here  arguing 
against  accepting  the  new  theory  of  Jesus  that  he  is 
John  come  to  life.  He  had  killed  John.  There  was 
no  doubt  of  that.  He  had  too  many  nightmares  on 
the  subject  not  to  know  it.  Now  he  is  to  have  all  this  * 
trouble  over  again!  Will  John  not  let  him  alone? 
"  He  sought  to  see  him,"  ^  in  order  to  determine  if  he 
were  the  Baptist  or  not.  He  could  tell,  for  he  could 
never  forget  that  face.  It  glared  at  him  now.  He 
kept  trying  to  see  Jesus  (in  perfect  tense),  but  did  not 
succeed  till  the  trial  of  Jesus,  when  Pilate  sent  the 
prisoner  to  him.®  Herod  doubtless  felt  himself  an 
injured  man  about  John.  His  wife  was  responsible 
for  his  death.  As  for  himself,  he  had  tried,  but  with 
poor  success,  to  forget  the  murder,  but  the  memory  of 
it  kept  coming  back  to  him,  "  and  now  the  murdered 
man  himself  seemed  to  have  risen  again  to  rebuke 
him."  ^  To  his  courtiers^  he  finally  said :  "  This  is 
John  the  Baptist;    he  is  risen^  from  the  dead;    and 

*  Matt.     14  :  2;    Mark    6  :  14.      Sta   toOto   at  Suva/xeis  ivepyovcri.v   ev   avT<a. 
Note  that  ai  is  almost  demonstrative. 

2  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco.  ^  Luke  9  :  9. 

<  Plummer,    "Luke,"  in  loco.      'Icoai/rjv  eyo)  aire»ce<f»aAto-a, 

5  Luke  9  :  9.      e^Jjrei  iSelv  avTov. 

6  Luke  23  :  8.     By  this  time  he  wants  to  see  Jesus  work  a  miracle  and 
no  longer  dreads  him  as  John  the  Baptist  come  to  life. 

'  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  201. 

8  Tois  Traio-lv  avTov.     Matt.  14 :  2.     Cf.  Mark  6  :  14. 

9  eyrjyepTai..     Present  perfect,  a  living  reality  to  Herod's  fears. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  275 

therefore  do  these  powers  work  in  him."  The  idea 
became  an  obsession  with  him.  Herod  in  this  mood 
could  find  no  peace  at  Machserus  where  he  could  see 
the  ghost  of  John  walk.  His  terror  is  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  news  about  Jesus.  John,  though 
dead,  was  goading  Herod  to  fury. 

2.  The  Puzzle  of  the  Disciples  of  Jesus. — The 
months  go  by.  Jesus  has  kept  out  of  the  territory  of 
Herod  Antipas  as  much  as  possible.  It  is  late  sum- 
mer or  early  autumn.  Christ  has  his  disciples  with 
him  in  the  region  of  Csesarea  Philippi.^  The  greatest 
tragedy  of  the  ages  is  before  Jesus.  The  shadow  of 
the  Cross  lies  across  his  path,  just  a  little  over  six 
months  ahead.  It  may  be  about  the  time  of  the  feast 
of  tabernacles  as  has  been  suggested  by  Colonel 
Mackinlay  in  his  book,  "The  Magi"  (p.  222).  As 
the  group  of  Christ's  disciples  get  away  from  the 
gloom  of  the  death  of  the  Baptist,  they  enter  the  cloud 
and  are  afraid.^  They  are  afraid  of  the  cloud  on  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration,  with  its  mystery  and  its 
messengers  of  comfort  to  Jesus  about  his  decease. 
They  fear  as  they  hear  the  voice^  out  of  the  cloud,  the 
same  voice  which  John  the  Baptist  had  heard  at  the 
Jordan  :  **  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased;  hear  ye  him."  *  All  the  synoptics  have 
"hear  ye  him."  Matthew^  says  :  "They  fell  on  their 
face,  and  were  sore  afraid."  When  Jesus  touched 
them,  they  suddenly  saw  Jesus  alone.  Moses  and 
Elijah  had  gone  with  the  cloud.     They  go  down  the 

>  Matt.  16  :  13;  Mark  8  :  27.  2  Luke  9  :  34.  »  Ibid. 

*  Matt.  17  :  5;  Mark  9  :  7;  Luke  9  :  35.  s  i7  :  6. 


276  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

mountain  in  awe  under  the  strict  command  of  Jesus 
not  to  tell  what  they  had  seen  till  the  Son  of  Man 
should  rise  from  the  dead.  They  talked  about  the 
rising  from  the  dead,  and  then  about  Elijah.  He  had 
come  back,  as  Malachi  had  said.  They  had  just  seen 
and  heard  him.  He  did  not  stay,  it  is  true.^  Besides, 
Jesus  as  the  Messiah  had  come  before  Elijah.  How 
can  that  be?  They  have  evidently  forgotten  what 
Jesus  had  said  about  John  the  Baptist  as  Elijah.^  It 
made  little  impression  on  their  minds  at  the  time,  if 
indeed  they  heard  it.  They  may  have  been  otherwise 
occupied  at  the  moment.  The  puzzle  is  too  great  for 
these  three  disciples  (Peter,  James  and  John).  They 
bring  it  to  Jesus  :  "  Why  then  say  the  scribes  that 
Elijah  must  first  come?"^  It  is  the  old  perplexity 
now  revived  in  a  new  form.  "How  was  Elijah's  ap- 
pearance at  the  Transfiguration  to  be  reconciled  with 
the  official  doctrine  of  his  return?"^  The  scribes 
held  from  Mai.  3:23;  4  : 4  f .  that  Elijah  himself 
would  return  to  earth.  The  question  is  certainly  sug- 
gested by  the  appearance  of  Elijah  at  the  Mount, 
whether  the  disciples  took  that  to  be  the  predicted 
coming  and  too  late  for  the  prophecy  in  Malachi^  or 
whether  they  were  troubled  by  the  fact  that  the  Mes- 
siah had  come  while  Elijah  had  not  come.^  In  either 
case  John  the  Baptist  is  not  in  the  thoughts  of  the 
disciples.     It  is  hard  to  understand  a  great  contem- 

1  Plummer  ("  Matthew,"  p.  240)  takes  the  question  to  mean  that  Elijah 
had  not  yet  come. 

2  Matt.  11:15.  »  Matt.  17  :  10.     Cf.  Mark  9:  11. 
4  Svvete,  "Mark,"  in  loco.  ^  So  Meyer,  Weiss,  etc. 

«  Broadus,  Bruce,  etc.     The  "then"  {ovv)  points  back  to  the  Transfig- 
uration experience.     They  are  puzzled  over  "first"  {-rrpCorov). 


LINGERING  ECHOES  277 

porary.  They  were  not  quite  far  enough  away  from 
John  to  take  the  measure  of  his  stature,  though  Jesus 
had  interpreted  him  for  them.  The  answer  of  Jesus 
is  very  significant.  He  is  patient  with  his  dull  pupils 
in  spiritual  things  and  repeats  his  identification  of 
John  with  Elijah.  The  scribes  were  right  in  their 
interpretation  of  Malachi  (except  as  to  Elijah  in  per- 
son, though  he  does  not  put  in  this  caveat  in  word»). 
"  Elijah  indeed  cometh  first,  and  restoreth  all  things."  ^ 
This  is  the  prophecy  and  God's  plan  about  the  Fore- 
runner and  the  Messiah.  Jesus  here  quotes  the  Sep- 
tuagint  "restoreth  all  things,"  a  more  general  phrase 
for  the  Hebrew^  text :  "  He  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the 
fathers  to  the  children"  as  in  the  prediction  of  Gabriel.^ 
He  was  to  make  ready  the  people  for  the  Messiah,  to 
bring  to  pass  a  moral  renovation.  Jesus  sadly  adds  : 
"  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  Elijah  is  come  already,  and 
they  knew  him  not,  but  did  unto  him  whatsoever  they 
listed."  ^  So  then  Jesus  expected  no  literal  coming  of 
Elijah.  John  the  Baptist  was  all  the  Elijah  who 
would  ever  come.  He  passes  by  the  brief  visit  of  the 
real  Elijah  on  the  Mount.  They  did  not  recognize^ 
John  as  Elijah  nor  understand  his  true  mission  as 
men  did  not  know  Jesus  in  his  true  light.^  Jesus  re- 
fers to  John's  death  in  euphemistic  language.^  Mark^ 
quotes  Jesus  as  saying  :  "  Even  as  it  is  written  of  him." 
The  fate  of  Elijah  was  a  type  of  the  death  of  John.^ 

»  Mark  9 :  12.  2  Mai.  4:6.  «  Luke  1 :  17. 

*  Matt.  17  :  12.  6  q{,^  ineyvmcrav.      Note  int. 

6  John  1 :  10. 

7  enoirtoav  ev  avTw.     Literally  "did  in  his  case."    Cf.  Gen.  40:  14. 
89:  13. 

» I  Kings  19  :  2,  10.     Cf.  Swete,  "Mark,"  in  loco. 


278  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

The  identification  of  John  with  Elijah  in  spirit  and 
power  is  made  so  plain  by  Jesus  this  time  that  the 
disciples  saw  his  meaning  clearly.  "Then  under- 
stood the  disciples  that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John 
the  Baptist."'  "Then"  is  "at  that  time,"  then  at 
last  they  understood,  but  "  what  a  disenchantment : 
not  the  glorified  visitant  of  the  night  vision,  but  the 
beheaded  preacher  of  the  wilderness,  the  true  Elijah."  ^ 
At  one  blow  Jesus  has  disposed  of  the  notion  of  the 
scribes  that  Elijah  himself  was  to  come  and  "lead 
Israel  to  the  Great  Repentance,''  ^  and  the  idea  of  the 
disciples  that  the  appearance  of  Elijah  on  the  moun- 
tain was  the  fulfilment  of  Malachi's  prophecy.  But 
the  heart  of  Jesus  is  concerned  about  a  more  im- 
portant matter  than  the  interesting  parallel  between 
Elijah  and  John  the  Baptist.  Elijah  and  Moses  had 
been  talking  with  him  on  the  Mount  about  "his  de- 
cease which  he  was  to  accomplish  at  Jerusalem."  * 
He  had  spoken  of  his  resurrection  from  the  dead  just 
a  little^  before  their  inquiry  about  Elijah.  The  fate 
of  Elijah  will  be  repeated  in  that  of  Jesus.  Jesus 
asks  the  disciples  how  his  own  death  can  follow  the 
restoration  by  John  ?  ®  "  That  he  should  suffer  many 
things  and  be  set  at  naught."  ^  There  is  to  be  a 
suffering  Messiah  as  there  has  been  a  suffering  Fore- 
runner.® The  glory  of  the  Transfiguration  is  followed 
by  the  prophecy  of  the  cross.  In  truth,  the  Cross  was 
the  chief  theme  of  converse  in  the  Transfiguration. 

»  Matt.  17  :  13,  2  Bruce,  "Matthew,"  in  loco. 

3  Ibid.     Cf.  Weber,  "Die  Lehren  des  Talm.,"  S.  337. 
*  Luke  9  :  31.  ^  Mark  9  :  9;  Matt.  17  :  9. 

6  Mark  9  :  12.  ^  Cf.  Matt.  17  :  12. 

splummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  240. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  279 

Jesus  has  no  illusions  about  his  own  future.  He 
knows  what  is  ahead  of  him,  and  he  will  meet  it 
bravely  as  John  did.  If  Elijah's  fate  was  a  prophecy 
of  John's  death,  that  of  John  foretells  the  doom  of 
Jesus.  The  disciples  had  been  puzzled  about  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead  and  then  about  the  coming 
of  Elijah.  The  problem  of  Elijah  is  cleared  for  them, 
but  they  are  still  unable  to  understand  the  words  of 
Jesus  about  his  own  death. 

The  Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer^  has  drawn  a  very  helpful 
parallel  between  the  life  of  Elijah  and  that  of  John  the 
Baptist  which  may  be  useful  to  modern  disciples  who 
are  puzzled  over  the  matter.  I  give  it  here  in  con- 
densed form.  They  were  similar  in  their  dress.  Each 
of  them  lived  awhile  in  Gilead  (Perea).  Each  was  ab- 
stemious in  his  diet  (Elijah  was  fed  by  ravens,  John 
lived  on  locusts  and  wild  honey).  They  were  both 
persecuted  by  a  wicked  king  and  queen  (Ahab  and 
Jezebel,  Herod  and  Herodias).  Each  had  a  distinct 
sense  of  the  presence  of  God.  Elijah  said  to  Ahab  : 
"As  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  liveth,  before  whom 
I  stand."  John  said:  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand."  They  both  had  a  "God-consciousness." 
Each  had  moments  of  depression  (Elijah  under  the 
juniper- tree,  John  in  prison).  They  both  hold  a  re- 
lation to  fire  (Elijah  called  down  fire  from  heaven  to 
consume  the  wood  drenched  with  water  in  the  test 
on  Carmel;  John  prophesied  the  baptism  of  fire  by 
the  Messiah).  Each  turned  the  people  back  to  God 
(Elijah  made  the  people  cry,  "Jehovah,  he  is  God"; 

»  "John  the  Baptist,"  1910,  pp.  239-245. 


280  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John  turned  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children 
and  to  God).  Each  had  also  a  gentler  ministry 
(Elijah  anointed  Elisha,  John  baptized  Jesus).  Each 
had  a  sudden  end  (Elijah  caught  up  in  the  chariot  of 
fire,  John  suddenly  beheaded).  Some  of  these  points 
are  more  striking  than  others,  but  they  illustrate  well 
the  prophecy  of  Malachi  about  the  return  of  Elijah 
and  the  fulfilment  in  the  career  of  John  as  interpreted 
by  Jesus  himself. 

3.  The  Power  of  the  Silent  Voice. — John  dead  was, 
for  a  time  at  least,  more  powerful  than  when  alive. 
He  was  now  a  martyr  and  a  hero  with  the  masses  who 
had  heard  his  wondrous  message  and  had  received 
baptism  from  him.  Jesus  had  said  to  the  three  dis- 
ciples that,  as  John  had  suffered  martyrdom,  so  would 
he.  On  the  great  Tuesday  in  Passion  Week,  the 
Tuesday  of  the  Debate,  Jesus  taught  for  the  last  time 
in  the  Temple.  The  power  of  Christ  over  the  masses 
was  never  so  great.  The  Triumphal  Entry  had  filled 
the  Galilean  multitudes  at  the  Passover  with  wild 
enthusiasm.  The  Jewish  rulers  sought  to  kill  Jesus, 
"for  they  feared  him."  ^  Jesus  had  done  what  John 
had  never  attempted.  He  had  come  right  into  the 
Temple  itself  and  won  the  favor  of  the  masses  away 
from  the  accredited  teachers  of  the  law.  This  was  a 
triumph  that  was  unendurable  to  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees,  but  "  they  could  not  find  what  they  might  do. 
for  all  the  people  hung  upon  him  listening."  ^  The 
rulers  finally  decided  upon  a  formal  challenge  of  the 
authority  of  Jesus.     Mark  and  Luke^  mention  that 

»  Mark  11 :  18.  «  Luke  19 :  48.  »  Mark  11 :  27;  Luke  20 :  1. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  281 

"the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders'' 
(the  Sanhedrin,  in  a  word,  which  was  composed  of 
these  three  classes)  came  to  Jesus  and  said  :  "  Tell  us  : 
By  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things  ?  or  who  is 
he  that  gave  thee  this  authority?"  ^  The  object  was 
to  entrap  Jesus  and  to  break  his  hold  upon  the  people. 
The  crowds  in  the  Temple  were  even  now  hanging  on 
his  teaching  and  preaching.^  A  dilemma  was  pre- 
sented to  Jesus  by  this  challenge.  If  he  claimed  to  be 
the  Messiah  and  to  have  direct  authority  from  God, 
they  w^ould  interpret  this  to  be  treason  against  Caesar 
by  giving  a  political  turn  to  his  claim  to  be  king  and  to 
have  a  kingdom.  They  finally  used  this  very  argu- 
ment with  Pilate^  to  force  his  acquiescence  in  the 
death  of  Jesus.  The  other  horn  of  the  dilemma  was 
the  favor  of  the  people.  If  Jesus  denied  that  he  was 
the  Messiah  or  asserted  only  human  authority  like 
other  teachers,  the  spell  of  the  Triumphal  Entry 
would  be  broken.  The  rulers  felt  sure  that  they 
would  ruin  Jesus  with  the  masses  or  get  him  into 
trouble  with  Rome.  It  is  the  mission  of  John  the 
Baptist  that  gives  Jesus  the  way  out  of  the  dilemma. 
He  meets  the  dilemma  of  the  rulers  with  another  and 
one  pertinent  to  their  query.  It  was  not  a  dodge  on 
the  part  of  Christ  to  evade  a  categorical  answer. 
They  had  asked  Jesus  "who"  gave  him  his  authority. 
This  "who"  has  two  aspects,  the  divine  origin  or 
source  and  the  human  agent  who  conveyed  it.  The 
claim  of  Jesus  to  divine  authority  will  be  scouted 
by  them  without  human  endorsement,  prophetic  ap- 

1  Luke  20  :  2.  2  Luke  20  :  1.  '  John  19  :  12. 


282  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

proval  by  an  accredited  spokesman  of  God.  So 
Jesus  properly  takes  up  first  the  divine  endorsement 
through  a  prophetic  agent.  That  had  come  through 
John  the  Baptist  as  all  men  knew.  John  had  made 
no  secret  of  his  identification  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah. 
But  who  was  John?  The  rulers  had  once^  investi- 
gated John  and  had  refused  to  deny  his  claim  to  be 
the  Forerunner  of  the  Messiah.  They  did  not  en- 
dorse John  formally,  though  "ye  were  willing  to  re- 
joice for  a  season  in  his  light."  ^  They  were  afraid  to 
condemn  John.  It  was  the  business  of  the  Sanhedrin 
to  pass  on  John's  claims^  to  be  a  prophet,  not  to  say 
Forerunner  of  the  Messiah.  They  had  not  done  so, 
and  were  therefore  not  in  a  position  to  challenge  Jesus 
who  was  formally  and  publicly  endorsed  by  John. 
Was  John  a  prophet  of  God ?  "I  also  will  ask  you  a 
question;  and  tell  me :  The  baptism  of  John,  was  it 
from  heaven,  or  from  men?"  ^  Just  "one"  question 
Matthew  and  Mark  have  it.  The  rulers  said  "Tell 
us"  to  Jesus;  he  says  "Tell  me"  to  them.  The 
"baptism"  of  John  is  not  singled  out  by  Jesus  for  any 
ecclesiastical  or  sacramental  reasons,  but  simply  be- 
cause the  baptism  of  repentance  stood  for  the  whole 
work  of  John.^  It  was  the  objective  symbol.  If  the 
rulers  will  take  up  a  position  on  the  ministry  of  John, 
that  will  clear  the  way  for  Jesus  to  make  an  intelligible 
reply  to  their  query.  If  John  was  a  prophet,  then 
Jesus  had  prophetic  endorsement  such  as  the  Messiah 

»  John  1 :  19  ff.  2  John  5  :  35. 

3  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  293. 
*  Luke  20  :  3  f.     Of.  Matt.  21  :  24  f.;    Mark  11  :  29  f. 
5  Cf.  Swete  on  Mark,  Bruce  on  Matthew,  Plummer  on  Matthew,  Broadus 
on  Matthew. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  283 

should  have.  He  had  just  the  kind  of  authority  that 
ought  to  have  weight  with  the  religious  leaders  of 
God's  people.  The  rulers  ought  to  have  taken  a  public 
stand  on  John's  career  long  before  this.^  They 
were  squarely  and  fairly  caught.  No  wonder  "they 
reasoned  with  themselves."  ^  There  was  no  time  for 
prolonged  conference.  The  pause  was  embarrassing. 
The  people  noticed  their  difficulty  and  were  on  the 
alert  to  see  if  the  rulers  would  say  an  unkind  word 
about  the  martyred  prophet.  The  rulers  knew  that 
they  were  caught,  hopelessly  caught  in  the  meshes  of 
their  own  net.  The  reasoning  seems  to  have  been 
aloud;  perhaps  they  were  excited  and  spoke  louder 
than  they  knew  in  their  conference.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  John's  work  was  both  from  heaven  and  from 
men.^  He  was  not  divine  as  Jesus,  but  his  authority 
came  from  God,  not  from  the  ecclesiastics.  But  the 
rulers  would  not  dare  deny  that  John's  baptism  was 
both  divine  and  human.  They  confess  their  defeat 
to  themselves  in  the  most  naive  manner  as  reported 
by  Matthew:*  "If  we  shall  say,  From  heaven;  he 
will  say  unto  us,  Why  then  did  ye  not  believe  him?" 
They  knew  the  power  of  Jesus  in  debate  too  well  to 
risk  that  retort.  "But  if  we  shall  say.  From  men;  we 
fear  the  multitude;  for  all  hold  John  as  a  prophet." 
In  Mark  ^  there  is  an  anacoluthon  "  —they  feared  the 
people."  Luke^  adds  :  "  All  the  people  will  stone  us." 
They  are  in  a  cul-de-sac,  and  meekly  come  back  and 

»  Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  293. 

^  SuKoyiCovTo  nap'  eavToU.     Matt.  21:25.     Note  imperfect  tense,     napa 
suggests  a  conference  a  little  aside.     Mark  (11 :  31)  has  n-pos. 
3  Bruce,  "  Matthew,"  in  loco. 
«21:25f.  «11:32.  '20:6. 


284  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

say :  "  We  know  not."  ^  Their  rout  is  complete. 
"They  had  publicly  declared  that  they  were  unable 
to  settle  such  questions,  thus  abdicating  their  authority 
in  religious  questions  of  the  highest  moment,  and  they 
do  not  venture  to  press  him  further."  ^  John  was  dead, 
but  he  wielded  a  sceptre  over  the  hearts  of  the  Jewish 
masses.  The  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  had  quailed 
before  John  as  he  denounced  them  to  their  faces. 
They  shrink  now  before  the  power  of  that  silent 
voice.  They  know  that  a  storm^  of  hate  will  burst 
upon  them.  They  actually  fear  stoning  in  such  case. 
No  words  can  add  anything  to  this  grip  which  John 
has  on  the  hearts  of  the  people  as  the  rulers  come  into 
collision  with  Jesus.  Herod  feared  John's  ghost. 
The  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  fear  John's  upright 
character  and  hold  upon  the  love  of  all  the  people. 
Jesus  had  probed  to  the  root  of  the  unbelief  of  the 
rulers,  and  they  winced  at  his  home  thrust.^  But 
Jesus  is  not  done  with  the  problem  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist. He  drove  home  the  lesson  of  their  admission 
about  John  by  the  parable  of  the  two  sons.  One  said 
he  would  and  did  not,  like  them.  Another  said  he 
would  not  and  did,  like  the  publicans  and  harlots  who 
repented  at  John's  preaching  and  at  that  of  Jesus. 
These  "go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you.  For 
John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and 
ye  believed  him  not :  but  the  publicans  and  the  harlots 
believed  him  :  and  ye,  when  ye  saw  it,  did  not  even 
repent  yourselves  afterward,   that  ye  might  believe 

1  Matt.  21  :  27;    Mark  11  :  33;    Luke  20  :  7. 

*Plummer,  "Matthew,"  p.  293.  »  Swete,  "Mark,"  in  loco. 

«  Smith,  "  Days  of  His  Flesh,"  p.  308. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  285 

him."  ^  It  was  a  terrible  turn  in  the  argument. 
They  had  not  escaped  Christ's  dilemma.  He  boldly 
charged  them  with  not  believing  John  when  they  saw 
that  he  was  a  prophet.  This  was  one  horn  that  they 
had  tried  to  escape,^  but  Jesus  now  pillories  them  on 
it.  They  had  escaped  stoning  from  the  crowd,  but 
not  the  exposure  from  Jesus.  The  ministry  of  John 
thus  plays  an  important  part  in  the  closing  day  of 
Christ's  own  public  work.     We  sigh 

"But  oh,  for  the  touch  of  a  vanlsh'd  hand, 
And  the  sound  of  a  voice  that  is  still." 

But  John's  hand  wields  a  sceptre  and  John's  voice 
still  rings  in  the  ears  of  men,  calling  them  to  righteous- 
ness, pointing  out  Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God. 

4.  The  New  Epoch  in  History. — We  pass  on  beyond 
the  great  event  whose  shortening  shadow  was  coming 
upon  Christ.  The  fate  of  John  did  meet  Jesus.  The 
manner  of  his  death  was  different,  but  he  was  killed 
as  the  great  martyr  to  truth  and  righteousness.  Like 
John,  Jesus  was  cut  down  in  his  prime.  The  forms 
of  a  trial  were  gone  through  with  in  the  case  of  Jesus, 
but  only  the  forms  were  observed,  and  by  no  means 
all  of  them  were  kept.  As  with  John,  so  with  Jesus, 
hate,  jealousy,  intrigue  on  the  part  of  the  ecclesiastics 
compassed  his  death.  There  was  not  toward  Jesus 
the  personal  resentment  of  a  tigress  like  Herodias. 
But  the  political  rulers  were  used  against  him,  and 
Jesus  himself  appeared  before  Herod  Antipas,^  who 
now  assumed  an  air  of  careless  curiosity  about  Jesus. 

»  Matt.  21 :  32.  2  Matt.  21 :  25.  »  Luke  26 :  6-12. 


286  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

He  had  gotten  over  his  fright  about  John's  having 
returned  to  Hfe.  He  actually  "mocked"  ^  Jesus  now 
that  he  is  a  prisoner.  He  is  very  brave  before  the 
defenceless.  But  in  Acts^  we  are  beyond  the  tragedy. 
Jesus  has  risen  from  the  grave  and  has  returned  to 
his  place  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  It  is  Peter 
who  interprets  the  present  situation  to  the  disciples  of 
Jesus.  They  have  passed  through  the  most  wonder- 
ful experience  that  had  ever  fallen  to  the  lot  of  men. 
They  must  now  apprehend  the  significance  of  it  all. 
They  must  face  the  world  with  courage.  They  pos- 
sess the  great  facts  of  the  spiritual  revolution  that  has 
begun.  Peter  says  :  "  Beginning  from  the  baptism 
of  John,  unto  the  day  that  he  was  received  up  from 
us,  of  these  must  one  become  a  witness  with  us  of  his 
resurrection."  Our  purpose  is  not  here  to  discuss  the 
address  of  Peter  about  the  selection  of  a  successor  to 
Judas.  Our  concern  is  with  the  single  point  of  the 
reference  to  the  baptism  of  John  as  the  new  epoch  in 
human  history.  The  baptism  is  again  mentioned  as 
the  thing  which  signalized  the  ministry  of  John. 
They  can  now  look  back  over  the  ministry  of  both 
Jesus  and  John.  They  go  together  in  the  large  view. 
John's  was  first  and  introduced  the  new  age.  The 
disciples  are  now  no  longer  puzzled  over  Elijah  that 
was  to  come.  The  manner  of  Peter's  reference  to 
John  shows  clearly  that  they  now  accept  the  inter- 
pretation of  Jesus  as  a  matter  of  course.  It  is  not  from 
the  close  of  John's  ministry  that  Peter  dates  the  new 
dispensation,  but  the  beginning.     When  John  lifted 

»  eMffot'los.  2  1  :  22. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  287 

up  his  voice  in  the  wilderness,  that  was  the  opening  of 
the  new  dispensation.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
Mark  begins  his  gospel  with  the  baptism  of  John.  It 
is  commonly  supposed  that  Mark  was  the  interpreter, 
if  not  amanuensis,  of  Peter.  There  is  another  allu- 
sion to  John's  baptism  by  Peter  in  the  same  epochal 
way,  "beginning  from  Galilee,  after  the  baptism 
which  John  preached."  ^  This  mention  again  re- 
minds us  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark  which,  after  the  bap- 
tism of  John,  takes  us  at  once  to  the  Galilean  ministry 
of  Jesus.  "The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until 
John."  ^  It  is  a  great  thing  to  mark  a  new  time. 
That  John  did.  Human  history  will  never  again  be 
what  it  was  before  John  was  able  to  say :  "  Behold, 
the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  ^  Peter's  speeches  show  that  the  disciples 
soon  began  to  take  the  right  measure  of  John  and  of 
his  proper  relation  to  Jesus.  He  has  never  lost  that 
place  in  the  estimation  of  the  world  and  never  will. 
Whether  Jesus  referred  to  him  as  the  porter*  or  not, 
he  did  open  the  door  and  usher  in  the  Good  Shepherd 
of  the  sheep.  That  was  honor  enough  for  John,  to 
be  the  Doorkeeper  for  Jesus. 

5.  Impressio7i  on  Paul. — It  is  Luke  in  Acts  who 
reports  the  addresses  of  Paul.  But  we  are  not  justi- 
fied in  saying  that  Luke  made  up  Paul's  speeches 
after  the  fashion  of  Thucydides.  The  speeches  of 
Peter,  Stephen,  Paul  differ  in  style,  and  each  of  Paul's 
addresses  has  a  special  appropriateness  to  time  and 

»  Acts  10  :  37.  «  Luke  16  :  16.  »  John  1 :  29. 

*  John  10  :  4. 


288  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

place.*  Paul  had  spent  much  time  In  Jerusalem 
while  a  Pharisaic  student  and  leader,  and  could  very 
well  have  heard  the  current  reports  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist and  his  sayings.  His  words  had  left  a  deep  mark 
on  his  age.  Among  the  Christians  they  would  in  par- 
ticular be  cherished  because  of  John's  testimony  to 
Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  In  the  first  extended  report  of 
one  of  Paul's  discourses  he  makes  express  mention^ 
of  the  Baptist.  "Of  this  man's  seed  hath  God  ac- 
cording to  promise  brought  unto  Israel  a  Saviour, 
Jesus;  when  John  had  first  preached  before  his  com- 
ing the  baptism  of  repentance  to  all  the  people  of 
Israel.  And  as  John  was  fulfilling  his  course,  he 
said,  What  suppose  ye  I  am?  I  am  not  he.  But 
behold,  there  cometh  one  after  me  the  shoes  of  whose 
feet  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose."  Paul  is  speaking 
in  the  Jewish  synagogue  at  Antioch  in  Iconium  to 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  His  reference  to  John  is 
brief,  but  clear  and  full  enough  for  his  point.  He  is 
proving  that  the  promise  made  to  David  was  fulfilled 
in  Jesus,  John  the  Baptist  being  witness.  John  did 
not  consider  himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  but  he  knew 
who  was  the  Messiah.  The  words  of  John  are  not 
quoted  exactly  in  the  form  in  which  they  occur  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels,^  but  more  nearly  resemble  the  form 
in  Luke.  The  essential  point  is  the  same  in  all  four 
reports.  John  himself  repeated  it  in  a  still  different 
way.*  But  with  Paul,  as  with  Peter,  John  is  the  man 
who  introduced  the  new  age.     He  first  preached  the 

1  Cf.  M.  Jones,  "  St.  Paul  the  Orator,"  1910.  *  Acts  13  :  23  ff. 

«  Matt.  3  :  11;  Mark  1  :  7;  Luke  3  :  16.  *  John  1 :  26  f . 


LINGERING  ECHOES  289 

baptism  of  repentance  and  it  was  just  before  the  com- 
ing of  Jesus.  John  was  filling  out  his  course^  when 
he  spoke  the  words  quoted.  It  was  not  long  before 
his  imprisonment.  Paul  thus  reveals  considerable 
knowledge  of  the  life  and  teaching  of  the  Baptist.  He 
understands  his  priority  to  Jesus,  his  preaching  about 
repentance,  his  baptism,  his  disclaimer  about  being 
the  Messiah,  his  knowledge  that  the  Messiah  was 
near,  the  cutting  off  of  the  Baptist's  career.  He  prob- 
ably knew  much  more,  but  these  facts  suited  his  pur- 
pose on  this  occasion.  That  Paul  did  know  about 
John's  message  is  shown  by  another  brief  exposition 
of  his  teaching  made  by  Paul  on  a  later  occasion. 
Paul  is  in  Ephesus,  and  has  to  explain  John's  real 
views  to  some  ill-taught  disciples  of  John.  Paul  said  : 
"  John  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  repentance,  say- 
ing unto  the  people,  that  they  should  believe  on  him 
who  should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Jesus."  ^  John 
often  spoke  of  "the  Coming  One,"  and  Paul  is  sure 
that  he  meant  Jesus. ^  The  baptism  of  John  marked 
by  repentance  continues  the  chief  characteristic  of  his 
ministry.  That  was  the  point  that  appealed  most  to 
the  imagination  of  men  and  that  gave  him  his  name  of 
the  Baptizer,  but  the  heart  of  John's  ministry  was  his 
testimony  to  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  This  he  came  to 
feel  himself.^  Paul  sees  it  also  in  this  passage.  Here, 
then,  we  have  the  great  apostle  after  Christ  joining 
hands  with  the  great  prophet  before  Christ  in  full  ac- 
cord.    They  both  accept  Jesus  as  the  Messiah — the 

1  enX^pov  Tov  Sp6(j.ov.     Of.  Paul's  language  in  Acts  20  :  24;  II  Tim.  4 :  7. 

2  Acts  19:4.  3  John  1 :  34. 


290  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

hope  of  IsraeL  John  was  the  clasp  between  the  old 
dispensation  and  the  new.  Jesus  is  the  common 
bond  between  John  the  man  of  the  wilderness  and 
Paul  the  man  of  the  schools.  There  is  fellowship  in 
Christ  between  men  of  every  age,  race  and  condition. 
Paul  is  glad  to  honor  John  as  the  Forerunner  of  Jesus. 
6.  A  Great  Disciple  of  John. — What  became  of  the 
disciples  of  John  after  his  death?  He  organized  no 
apostolate  as  did  Jesus,  though  he  had  disciples  who 
accompanied  him  and  were  loyal  to  him,  some  even 
to  the  point  of  jealousy  of  Jesus,  as  we  have  seen. 
There  was  a  circle  of  disciples  who  clung  close  to 
John  during  his  imprisonment  and  buried  his  corpse.^ 
The  great  bulk  of  John's  disciples  naturally  blended 
with  the  followers  of  Jesus.  After  the  death  of  John 
his  disciples  went  and  told  Jesus.  In  Palestine  espe- 
cially this  union  took  place  more  easily.  But  the  in- 
fluence of  John  extended  far  beyond  Palestine.  Over 
twenty  years  after  John's  death  there  are  proofs  of 
his  abiding  power  in  Alexandria  and  in  Ephesus. 
The  attitude  of  these  belated  disciples  of  John  toward 
Jesus  will  depend  on  the  amount  of  information  which 
they  possess  of  the  teaching  of  John.  If  they  have 
the  later  as  well  as  the  earlier  words  of  John,  his  identi- 
fication of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  as  well  as  his  prophecy 
of  the  Messiah,  they  will  either  be  already  disciples  of 
Jesus  or  predisposed  to  that  step.  There  would  nat- 
urally be  varieties  among  the  lingering  disciples  of 
John.  Some  would  be  ignorant  of  Jesus,  some  would 
be  ignorant  of  John's  real  position.     Some  would  know 

»  Matt.  4  :  12;  9  :  14;  11 :  2  f.;  Mark  6  :  29. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  291 

well  John's  teaching  and  that  of  Jesus  and  not  be 
familiar  with  the  later  developments  since  Pentecost. 
We  have  seen  that  John  the  Baptist  made  his  impress 
on  Peter  and  Paul.  But  he  made  a  deeper  mark  on 
Apollos,  of  Alexandria,  one  of  the  most  learned  or 
eloquent*  men  of  the  first  century.  He  was  a  Jew 
who  was  "  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,"  ^  evidently,  like 
Paul,  a  man  of  the  schools.  He  was  a  man  of  prowess 
as  an  interpreter  and  speaker  before  he  comes  to 
Ephesus.  In  Alexandria  he  was  in  touch  with  the 
Jewish  teaching  and  the  Greek  philosophy,  and  prob- 
ably knew  the  combination  of  the  two  in  Philo  the 
Jew.  There  is  no  real  evidence  for  attributing  to 
him  the  authorship  of  the  "Wisdom  of  Solomon." 
He  is  held  by  some  to  be  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews.  When  he  went  later  to  Corinth,  he  so 
"powerfully  confuted  the  Jews,  aiid  that  publicly, 
showing  by  the  scriptures  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,"  ^ 
that  he  at  once  divided  honors  in  that  church,  and  was 
the  occasion,  though  through  no  fault  of  his,  of  a 
schism  in  the  church  there.^  It  is  significant  that  this 
man  of  learning,  native  gifts  and  force  of  character 
is  a  representative  of  the  "  baptism  of  John,"  "  know- 
ing only"  that  when  he  appears  before  us.^  But  we 
are  not  at  liberty  to  interpret  this  language  to  mean 
that  Apollos  knew  nothing  of  Jesus  and  was  not  a 
disciple  of  Jesus.  The  correct^  text  here  expressly 
states  that  Apollos  "spake  and  taught  accurately  the 

•  oLvrip  Aoyio?.     The  word  is  ambiguous.     Acts  18  :  24. 

2  Bvvarhs  Siv  ev  rais  Ypa(/>ats, 

3  Acts  18  :  28.  4  I  Cor.  3:4;   16  :  12.  6  Acts  18  :  25. 

^  NABDEL.       eAaAei  koX  iSCSa<TK€V  aKpi/So)?  ra  nepl  toO  'Irjaov,      Note    im- 
perfect tense. 


292  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

things  concerning  Jesus."  He  was  an  experienced 
teacher  of  the  story  of  Jesus,  and  he  did  it  accurately. 
He  made  no  mistakes  as  far  as  he  went.  He  was  fer- 
vent in  spirit  and  "  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord." 
How  much  did  he  know  ?  Kendall  ^  groups  these 
facts  clearly.  "He  had  (a)  received  the  baptism  of 
John,  (b)  been  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
and  he  (c)  knew  the  things  concerning  Jesus.  This 
represents  the  stage  reached  either  by  those  who  them- 
selves had  been  disciples  of  Jesus,  or  brought  very 
near  to  him,  but  had  returned  to  a  distant  home  be- 
fore Pentecost  or  for  some  other  reason  had  not  main- 
tained communications  with  the  apostolic  church;  or 
by  those  who  had  been  instructed  by  such  disciples." 
In  other  words,  Apollos  seems  to  occupy  the  stand- 
point of  those  disciples  of  John  who  accepted  Jesus  as 
the  Messiah,  but  who  knew  nothing  of  Pentecost  and 
the  developments  since.  What  did  Apollos  lack? 
"  But  when  Priscilla  and  Aquila  heard  him,  they  took 
him  unto  them,  and  expounded  unto  him  the  way  of 
God  more  accurately."  ^  They  took  him  to  them- 
selves^ and  set  forth  more  fully*  the  way  of  God  which 
he  already  knew.  There  was  no  correction  of  what 
he  did  know,  but  rather  addition  to  his  stock  of  knowl- 
edge. We  are  left  partly  to  conjecture  as  to  what  the 
new  teaching  was.  There  is  no  evidence  that  Apollos 
was  baptized  anew.  The  case  of  the  twelve  disciples 
in  Acts  19  is  not  necessarily  similar.^    These  disciples 

1  "The  Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  p.  341.        2  Acts  18 :  26. 

'  jrpoo-eXajBofTo.     Middle  voice.  *  e^e^evTo.     Middle  voice  also. 

6  Knowling  (Acts  in  "Expositor's  Greek  Testament")  argues  from 
Acts  19  :  5  that  Apollos  was  also  baptized.  But  Meyer  (in  loco)  does  not 
think  so,  nor  does  Hackett  (m  loco)  consider  it  probable. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  293 

were  poorly  taught  in  John's  own  message,  while 
Apollos  was  accurately  instructed.  It  cannot  be 
maintained  that  the  disciples  of  John  were  all  rebap- 
tized,  that  the  baptism  of  John  was  not  "valid"  with 
the  early  disciples  of  Jesus.  That  is  all  the  baptism  pos- 
sessed by  Jesus  and  the  first  half-dozen  of  his  apostles, 
so  far  as  we  have  any  record.  The  trouble  with  Apol- 
los was  not  in  his  baptism.  The  mention  of  John's 
baptism  was  for  the  purpose  of  dating  him,  so  to  speak. 
He  occupied  the  pre-Pentecost  stand-point.  There  is 
no  hint  that  Priscilla  and  Aquila  taught  Apollos  the 
insufficiency  of  John's  baptism.  Blass^  suggests  that 
Apollos  may  have  had  the  Gospel  of  Mark  or  one  of 
the  early  accounts  of  the  life  of  Jesus  which  stopped 
short  of  Pentecost.  Mark's  Gospel  begins  with  John's 
baptism  and  ends  with  the  resurrection  and  appear- 
ance of  Christ.  If  Apollos  knew  all  that  was  in 
Mark's  Gospel,  he  would  still  have  much  to  learn  by 
way  of  understanding  the  things  of  Christ.  Mark's 
Gospel  gives  the  primitive  narrative  of  the  ministry 
and  death  of  Jesus,  and  probably  covers  the  extent  of 
the  knowledge  of  Apollos  when  he  appears  in  Ephesus. 
The  word  "instructed"  ^  usually  refers  to  oral  teaching, 
but  not  always.  He  is  a  well-equipped  expounder  of 
the  scriptures  and  of  the  work  of  Jesus,  but  he  appar- 
ently is  ignorant  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a 
fact.^  John  had  described  the  Messianic  work  under 
that  figure,  suggested  by  his  own  baptism.  Perhaps 
Luke  notes  here  that  Apollos  knew  only  the  baptism 

1  "  Acta  Apostolorum,"  in  loco.  2  KaTTjx>?f*eVos.     Cf.  Luke  1 :  4. 

3  Kendall,  "  Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  p.  442. 


294  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  John  because  he  did  not  know  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  John  had  said  the  Messiah 
would  bestow.^  Priscilla  and  Aquila  could  explain 
how  that  prophecy  of  John  was  fulfilled  so  wondrously 
on  the  Day  of  Pentecost.^  Jesus  had,  indeed,  him- 
self breathed  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  disciples  after 
his  death  and  resurrection.^  But  that  was  only  an 
earnest  of  the  fuller  blessing  which  he  had  promised 
and  for  which  he  bade  the  disciples  to  wait.*  There 
is,  in  truth,  some  hint  that  Apollos  received  this  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit  after  (or  during)  his  visit  with 
Priscilla  and  Aquila  (two  saints  of  rare  sympathy  and 
wisdom,  who  knew  how  to  perform  a  delicate  task). 
The  hint  lies  in  the  tremendous  power^  of  his  work  in 
Corinth,  whither  he  went.  But,  all  in  all,  Apollos 
stands  only  to  the  credit  of  John's  work.  He  had 
grasped  the  vital  elements  in  the  work  of  both  John 
and  Jesus,  and  was  ready  to  learn  more  of  the  signif- 
icance of  the  life  of  Jesus  under  the  tutelage  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  baptism  of  John  stood  for  nothing 
unless  there  was  first  the  new  heart.  It  was  the  pledge 
of  the  new  life  in  Christ  which  could  only  be  entered 
into  with  fulness  under  the  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Apollos  was  going  straight  ahead  in  line  with  John's 
own  teaching  when  he  was  taught  more  accurately  the 
way  of  God. 

7.  Misguided  Disciples.— Apollos  is  gone  to  Corinth 
and  Paul  comes  to  Ephesus  on  the  third  great  mis- 

»  Matt.  3:11;  Mark  1 :  8;  Luke  3 :  16;  Acts  18 :  25. 
2  Acts  2  and  3.  »  John  20  :  22. 

*  John  15  :  26-16  :  16;  Luke  24  :  49;  Acts  1 :  3-8. 
s  Acts  18  :  28. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  295 

sionary  tour.'  Paul  "found  certain  disciples"^  in 
Ephesus.  The  expression  is  very  vague  and  raises 
a  number  of  problems.  How  did  these  "disciples" 
escape^  the  notice  of  Apollos  ?  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
there  is  no  evidence  that  they  had  come  to  Ephesus 
before  Apollos  left.  The  words  of  Luke  in  Acts  quite 
well  admit  of  this  interpretation.*  If  this  is  true, 
there  is  no  problem  concerning  their  connection  with 
Apollos.  But,  even  if  Apollos  did  not  leave  till  after 
the  arrival  of  these  "  twelve,"  ^  there  is  still  no  proof 
that  Apollos  saw  them  or  had  any  dealings  with  them.® 
In  favor  of  the  idea  that  Apollos  was  quite  indepen- 
dent of  these  twelve  men  is  the  fact  that  Priscilla  and 
Aquila  apparently  take  no  interest  in  them.^  Apollos 
would  surely  have  sought  to  impart  to  these  men  the 
fuller  light  which  he  had  learned  from  Priscilla  and 
Aquila,  if  they  were  disciples  of  his.  Even  if  Apollos 
had  been  suddenly  called  to  Corinth,  which  does  not 
seem  to  be  the  case  in  view  of  the  careful  preparation 
for  going  by  way  of  a  letter  of  introduction,^  he  would 
almost  certainly  have  urged  ^  Priscilla  and  Aquila  to 
lead  them  into  the  fuller  light.  It  is  Paul  who  dis- 
covers this  group  of  "disciples"  and  seeks  to  indoctri- 
nate them.  His  method  is  quite  different  from  that 
of  Priscilla  and  Aquila  with  Apollos.  The  difference 
hardly  lies  wholly  in  Paul's  temperament.     The  cases 

*  Acts  19  :  1.  2  gvpiiv  Tiva?  piat^TjTas. 

s  Ramsay, "  St.  Paul  the  Traveller,"  p.  270;  Felten,  "  Apostelgeschichte," 
S.  351. 

<  Knowling,  "Acts,"  in  loco. 

6  Acts  19  :  7.  01  navTe<:  ovSpe?  dxrel  SdiSeKa.  The  number  was,  of  course, 
accidental.     It  was  not  another  circle  of  twelve  like  the  twelve  apostles. 

8  Kendall,  *•  Acts,"  in  loco. 

» Ibid.  8  Acts  18  :  27.  »  Kendall,  "  Acts,"  in  loco. 


296  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

called  for  different  treatment.  The  whole  tone  of  the 
narrative  in  Acts  19  : 1-7  is  that  of  a  separate  incident 
with  no  actual  connection  with  the  work  of  Apollos  in 
ch.  18.  The  one  note  of  similarity  is  the  fact  that  they, 
like  Apollos,  have  only  the  baptism  of  John.*  But  we 
must  not  be  misled  by  a  phrase.  The  context  is  en- 
tirely different  in  the  two  incidents.  The  facts  about 
Apollos  have  already  been  set  forth.  What  are  the 
facts  about  these  twelve  "disciples"?  Can  we  get  a 
clear  idea  of  them?  They  were  undoubtedly  dis- 
ciples of  John.^  Were  they  also  disciples  of  Jesus? 
McGiffert^  says  that  they  were  not.  This  has  been 
the  common  notion  from  the  time  of  Chrysost«om,^ 
and  some  writers  even  hold  that  these  men  were  bap- 
tized by  John  the  Baptist  himself.^  But  Blass^  con- 
tends that  the  use  of  the  term  "disciples"  and  "be- 
lieved" proves  that  they  were  also  disciples  of  Jesus. 
That  is,  of  course,  possible,  though  the  word  "be- 
lieved"^ occurs  in  Paul's  question  and  cannot  be 
pressed  into  a  positive  assertion  about  them.  There 
is  more  force  in  the  word  "  disciples,"  but  it  must  not 
be  overlooked  that  the  term  was  applied  in  the  gospels 
freely  to  the  followers  of  the  Baptist.^  The  story  in 
the  Acts  is  naturally  from  the  stand-point  of  disciples  of 
Jesus,  however,  and  the  most  obvious  meaning  of  the 
word  here  is  that  these  men  were  in  some  sort  disciples 
of  Jesus.     But  even  so,  it  does  not  follow  that  they 

»  Acts  19  :  3.  2  lud.  a  "  Apostolic  Age,"  p.  286. 

*  "  Acts,"  in  loco. 

6  Knowling,  "  Acts,"  in  loco. 

6  "Acta  Apostolorum,"  in  loco. 

''  Acts  19  :  2.      7ri<rT6uo-avT€s. 

8  Mark  2:  18;  6:29;   Matt.  9  :  14;   11:2;   Luke  5  :  33;  7  :  18  f.;   11:1; 
John  1:35,  37;  3:  25;  4:  1. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  297 

were  on  the  same  plane  with  Apollos,  who  taught 
accurately  or  carefully  the  things  concerning  Jesus, 
though  he  knew  only  the  baptism  of  John.^  It  is  not 
certain  that  these  men  knew  accurately  the  things  of 
John  or  of  Jesus.  We  do  not  have  to  assume  that 
they  took  John  to  be  the  Messiah.  That  error  arose 
in  John's  own  time  and,  in  spite  of  his  resolute  dis- 
claimer, did  not  disappear  at  once.^  Neander^  sup- 
poses that  the  Zabians  (Mendseans  or  Nazoreans), 
discovered  in  the  East  in  the  seventeenth  century,  are 
a  remnant  of  this  sect  who  clung  to  John  as  the  Mes- 
siah instead  of  Jesus.  A  sect  of  Hemerobaptists 
claim  John  the  Baptist  as  one  of  their  number.  They 
appear  in  the  second  century  in  proconsular  Asia.* 
These  Hemerobaptists  have  perverted  John's  teaching 
and  misrepresented  his  office.^  They  baptize  daily 
for  atonement  of  sin  and  for  sanctification.^  Baptism 
is  no  longer  a  single  symbolic  ordinance.  John  is 
himself  the  Messiah  with  these  people.  It  needs  no 
argument  to  prove  that  they  owe  nothing  in  reality  to 
John.  They  have  seized  on  his  name  and  misused  it.^ 
There  is  little  likelihood  (none,  I  think)  that  the  twelve 
disciples  at  Ephesus  were  tainted  with  this  heresy. 
If  they  are  Christians,  they  are  certainly  very  imper- 
fectly informed  ^  disciples  of  Jesus,  far  below  the  level 

i  Acts  18 :  25.  2  Hackett,  "  Acts,"  in  loco. 

»  "  Church  History,"  vol,  I,  p.  376. 

!  Justin   Martyr,  "Dialogue  with  Trypho,"  Clem.  Horn,  ii,  23;    Hege- 
sippus  in  Eus.  H.  E.  IV,  22.     Of.  Lambert  in  "  Hastings's  D.  C.  G." 
6  Lightfoot,  "Colossians,"  p.  401. 

6  "  Apost  Const.,"  vi,  6. 

7  Justin  Martyr  even  ("  Dialogue  with  Trypho,"  10)  alludes  to  them  as 
"Baptists,"  but  they  have  no  real  connection  with  Christianity,  certainly 
not  with  the  great  body  of  Christians  now  called  Baptists. 

8  Lightfoot,  "Colossians,"  p.  400. 


298  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

of  Apollos.  But  they  betray  a  lamentable  ignorance 
of  important  elements  in  the  teaching  of  John,  to  such 
an  extent  that  one  hesitates  to  call  them  Christians  at 
all.  It  could  have  been  true  only  in  a  nominal  sense, 
or  at  most  "they  possessed  the  elements  of  a  true 
faith,  and  acknowledged  the  name  of  Christ  as  soon 
as  the  apostle  made  it  known  to  them."  ^  They  did 
not  know  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had  been  bestowed,  if, 
indeed,  they  knew  of  the  existence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
PauFs  question^  was  whether  they  had  received  the 
girt  of  the  Holy  Spirit  when  they  believed.  The  in- 
quiry seems  abrupt  because  we  probably  do  not  have 
all  the  conversation.^  Paul  assumes  that  they  are 
familiar  with  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  all 
who  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord.*  This  fact  may 
argue  that  he  had  not  had  much  discussion  with  them 
and  did  not  know  the  depth  of  their  ignorance.  They 
answered  :  "  Nay,  we  did  not  so  much  as  hear  whether 
the  Holy  Spirit  was."  ^  The  Revised  Version  adds 
"given"  to  the  word  "was."  But  it  is  by  no  means 
clear  that  that  is  the  idea  here  as  in  John  7  :  39. 
Knowling^  urges  that  these  disciples  knew  of  the 
existence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  because  of  John's  teach- 
ing and  the  Old  Testament  also.  But  the  trouble  is 
that  these  "disciples"  may  have  been  ignorant  of 
John's  portrayal  of  the  Messiah.  Still,  it  is  charitable 
to  them  to  interpret  the  language  as  referring  to  the 
bestowal  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     Paul  expresses  astonish- 

1  Hackett,  "  Acts,"  in  loco. 

2  Acts  19  :  2.     The  two  aorists  refer  to  the  one  event,     ei  TrveOiia  iiyLov 

eAa/Sere  Trio-Tevo-avTe? ; 

3  Hackett,  "  Acts,"  in  loco.  *  Acts  2  :  39. 

*  'AAA*  ow5e  ei  irvevna  ayi.6v  eariv  t)  Kovvafiev.  "  '*  ActS,"  in  loco. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  299 

merit  at  their  ignorance  and  inquires  for  the  signifi- 
cance of  their  baptism.     "Unto  what  then  were  ye 
baptized?"^    To  Paul's  mind  a  baptism  in  water 
that  had  no  symbolic  relation  to  the  Holy  Spirit's 
work  was  an  absurdity  whether  they  had  received  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  or  not.     These  disciples 
reply  simply:    "Unto  John's  baptism."^     They  had 
received  John's  baptism,  that  and  no  more.     How  did 
Paul  understand  this  reply?     Paul  said  :  "John  bap- 
tized with  the  baptism  of  repentance,  saying  unto  the 
people  that  they  should  believe  on  him  that  should 
come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Jesus."  ^     Did  Paul  mean 
to  say  that  John's  baptism  was  inadequate  and  there- 
fore they  must  receive  a  new  water  baptism?     So 
Knowling* :  "  John's  own  words  showed  that  his  bap- 
tism was  insufficient."     Insufficient  for  what?     John 
said  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  at  the  hands 
of  the  Messiah  was  more  important  than  his  water 
baptism.^     But  that  was  a  very  different  thing  from 
saying  that  those  who  had  received  water  baptism 
from  John  should  receive  another  water  baptism  from 
Jesus  or  his  disciples.     As  a  matter  of  fact,  till  now, 
we  have  no  instance  of  such  a  repetition  of  water  bap- 
tism in  the  New  Testament.     RendalP  gets  rid  of 
the  difficulty  by  saying  that  John's  baptism  "was  only 
a  preparation  for,  as  also  a  profession  of  faith  in,  the 
coming  Messiah,  whose  baptism  was  to  be  with  water 

1  Acts  19 :  3.  eis  tc  oCv  ipanria&nre;  the  use  of  eis  does  not  demand 
"into"  in  English.  Of.  Matt.  10  :  41;  12 :  41.  Paul  means  to  ask  for  the 
higher  meaning  of  the  ordinance  to  them. 

*  eis  TO  'Iwai'ov  jBaTrTitTjaa.  «         .      ,  .      , 

s  Acts  19  :  4.  IwdvTjs  i^anTure  PanTtaiia  ixeravoiai,  T<p  Xacp  Aeywv,  et?  rbv 
eoYoaevov  uer    avrbvipa  marevauxri,  Tovreo-Ttv  ei?  toi*  'lrj(TOvv. 

!  "Acts,"  in  loco.  '  Matt.  3:11.  «  "  Acts."  p.  246: 


300  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

and  the  Spirit."  But  he  here  adds  "water"  to  the 
words  of  the  Baptist.  That  argument  required  the 
rebaptism  of  all  the  Johannine  disciples,  the  six  apos- 
tles of  Jesus  included.  Hackett^  comes  much  nearer 
to  the  heart  of  the  matter  when  he  says  :  "  John  indeed 
preached  repentance  and  a  Saviour  to  come  (as  you 
know);  but  the  Messiah  whom  he  announced  has 
appeared  in  Jesus,  and  you  are  now  to  believe  on  him 
as  John  directed."  This  interpretation  assumes  that 
they  had  not  exercised  faith  in  Jesus.  Paul  probably 
meant  even  more  than  this.  John's  water  baptism 
was  preceded  by  repentance,  which  was  a  spiritual  act 
under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Thus  Paul 
means  to  say,  that,  if  they  really  understood  the  sig- 
nificance of  John's  baptism,  they  should  have  known 
of  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  of  which  he  had  first  asked 
them,  since  John  preached  about  that  great  character- 
istic of  the  new  dispensation.  Paul  is,  then,  not  dis- 
crediting John's  baptism,  but  interpreting  the  real 
significance  of  John's  baptism,  and  exposing  their 
defective  comprehension  of  John's  baptism,  which 
they  claimed  to  have  received.  The  rest  of  Paul's 
explanation  is  in  harmony  with  this  idea.  John  urged 
belief  in  the  Coming  One  at  the  same  time  that  he 
spoke  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.^  These 
"disciples"  were  evidently  very  backward  in  their 
knowledge  of  John's  earlier  preaching.  In  his  later 
ministry  John  even  identified  the  Coming  One  with 
Jesus  :  "This  is  he  of  whom  I  said."  ^  So  then  Paul 
is  justified  in  adding  "that  is,  on  Jesus."     In  effect, 

»  "  Acts."  p.  219.  2  Matt.  3:11.  » John  1 :  30. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  301 

therefore,  Paul  has  administered  to  them  a  rebuke  for 
their  ignorance  of  John's  teaching.  They  had,  in 
fact,  received  the  form  of  John's  baptism  without  any 
conception  of  its  spiritual  import.  It  would  appear 
from  Luke's  narrative  that  Paul's  exposition  of  John's 
teaching  came  as  a  fresh  ray  of  light  to  them.  They 
illustrate  how  John's  work,  which  accented  with  tre- 
mendous power  the  reality  of  spiritual  experience, 
had  become  hazy  at  this  distance  in  the  minds  of  a 
group  of  well-meaning  men.  John's  new  ordinance 
was  called  a  repentance-baptism  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  mere  ceremonial  ablutions  of  the  Pharisees.  But 
here  at  last  "John's  baptism  of  repentance"  has 
dwindled  into  just  "John's  baptism"  and  the  addi- 
tion of  "repentance"  by  Paul  comes  as  a  brand-new 
idea  to  these  followers  of  the  Baptist.  "When  they 
heard  this,  they  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus."  ^  Paul's  brief  exposition  set  the  whole 
matter  in  such  a  new  light  that  they  felt  that  they  had 
not  been  baptized  at  all.  They  are  baptized  afresh, 
not  because  they  had  only  John's  baptism,  but  be- 
cause they  did  not  really  have  that.  The  original 
question  of  Paul  about  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
has  for  the  moment  receded  into  the  background. 
These  men  did  not  even  have  a  real  water  baptism, 
let  alone  the  spirit  baptism.  So  they  are  baptized  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  probably  as  representing 
that  of  the  Trinity.^  It  is  surely  gratuitous  to  insist 
on  the  addition  in  "Codex  Bezse"  "for  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins "  ^  and  to  explain  it  as  showing  "  that 

1  Acts  19  :  5.  2  Cf.  Matt.  28  :  19.  3  ei^  a<^€<riv  anapnuv  D. 


302  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

John's  baptism  did  not  convey  forgiveness;  hence  the 
repetition  of  the  baptism  of  water."  ^  It  is  obviously 
just  a  repetition  of  the  language  of  Mark  1  : 4  about 
the  baptism  of  John.  In  point  of  fact  neither  the 
water  baptism  of  John  nor  that  in  the  name  of  Jesu^ 
"conveyed"  forgiveness  of  sins.  In  each  instance  the 
baptism  in  water  presumed  that  the  forgiveness  had  al- 
ready been  received.  Now  it  is  that  "  when  Paul  had 
laid  his  hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Spirit  came  on 
them;  and  they  spake  with  tongues  and  prophesied."  ^ 
The  water  baptism  was  not  a  prerequisite  to  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Spirit.  In  the  case  of  Cornelius  and  his 
household  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  preceded  the 
water  baptism.^  The  same  order  was  true  of  Paul's 
Spirit  baptism  and  water  baptism.*  But  the  discus- 
sion between  Paul  and  these  twelve  disciples  led  back 
from  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  to  the  water  baptism  of 
John.  They  had  not  really  received  the  water  bap- 
tism. This  defect  was  remedied  on  their  confession 
and  request  apparently.  Then  came  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  which  Paul  had  first  inquired.  The 
proof  was  at  hand,  for  they  spake  with  tongues  and 
prophesied  as  at  Pentecost  and  at  Csesarea.  The 
bestowal  of  the  Holy  Spirit  preceded  the  speaking  with 
tongues  and  was  independent  of  it,  nor  was  this  proof 
always  on  hand.  It  was  a  great  experience  for  these 
twelve  men.  They  had  come  a  long  way  during  their 
interview  with  Paul.  They  had  farther  to  come  than 
Apollos.     Paul  had  laid  hold  of  their  loyalty  to  John 

1  Rendall,  "  Acts,"  p.  346. 

2  Acts  19 :  6.  3  Acts  10  :  44-48.  !  Acts  9 :  17  f. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  303 

to  bring  them  out  into  the  full  truth  as  set  forth  by 
John  and  Jesus. 

8.  The  Last  Look  at  John, — Many  years  go  by. 
Paul  and  Peter  have  joined  the  roll  of  martyrs  headed 
by  John  and  Jesus,  Stephen  and  James.  John  the 
Apostle  lingers  on  till  the  end  of  the  century.  It  is 
possible  that  the  principles  of  the  Hemerobaptists 
spread  in  Asia  Minor.  At  Ephesus  John  the  Apostle 
probably  lived  to  see  the  name  of  John  the  Baptist 
bandied  about  as  a  party  shibboleth.  These  heretics 
tried  to  appropriate  John  the  Baptist.  "  His  name  is 
no  longer  the  sign  of  imperfect  appreciation  [as  in  the 
case  of  the  twelve  at  Ephesus],  but  the  watchword  of 
direct  antagonism;  John  has  been  set  up  as  a  rival  to 
Jesus."  ^  So  then  in  this  Fourth  Gospel,  written  at 
the  end  of  the  first  century,  we  see  John  the  Apostle 
interpreting  John  the  Baptist  and  Forerunner  in  the 
light  of  the  misuse  of  his  name  by  the  Hemerobaptists. 
He  calls  him  simply  "John."  To  the  aged  Apostle 
he  was  the  John.  He  had  himself  been  John's  disciple,  * 
and  it  was  at  John's  instance  that  he  went  that  day  to 
follow  Jesus.^  He  cannot  bear  to  see  that  glorious 
name  become  a  by-word  among  these  narrow  opposers 
of  Jesus.  To  us  John's  great  disciple  is  the  John.' 
John  the  Apostle  loved  both  John  and  Jesus.  He 
knew  that  these  heretics  were  wrong.  He  knew  that 
John  was  not  jealous  of  Jesus,  but  placed  the  crown 
on  his  head  as  the  Lamb  of  God  and  the  Bridegroom 
whose  friend  he  was.*     John  was  great,  but  Jesus  was 

>  Lightfoot,  " Colossians,"  p.  401.  'John  1 :  35-42. 

8  Dods,  "John,"  in  loco.  i  John  1 :  29  ;  3 :  28  f. 


304  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

greater,  as  John  himself  knew  and  gladly  acknowl- 
edged. John  was  the  lamp  (a  bright  and  shining  one), 
but  Jesus  was  the  sun.^  "He  was  not  the  light,  but 
came  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  light."  ^ 
Nothing  could  give  John  greater  offence,  if  he  only 
knew,  than  for  people  to  set  him  up  as  the  rival  of 
Jesus.  "He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease." 
As  the  Apostle  looks  back  across  two  generations  since 
he  first  heard  the  wonderful  words  of  John  by  the 
Jordan,  he  can  see  in  a  clear  light  the  relation  between 
John  and  Jesus.  Jesus  is  the  eternal  Logos,  the  Son 
with  the  Father,  the  Life  and  the  Light  of  men,  the 
Light  that  shines  on  in  the  darkness  and  that  the  dark- 
ness did  not  overcome  or  put  out.^  "There  came  a 
man  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was  John."  *  The 
introduction  of  John  the  Forerunner  into  this  con- 
text appears  abrupt,  but  it  is  not  so.  The  conflict  be- 
tween Light  and  Darkness  took  a  new  turn  when  this 
man  of  God  appeared  on  the  scene.^  John  entered 
the  lists  on  the  side  of  the  Light.  He  came  as  the 
Morning  Star  to  prophesy  the  coming  of  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness.  He  was  the  Herald  of  the  King,  the 
Harbinger  of  the  Day.  "  The  same  came  for  witness, 
that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  light,  that  all  might 
believe  through  him."  ^  The  mission  of  this  God- 
moved  man  was  to  testify  about  the  Messiah  before 
he  was  manifested  and  afterward,  "that  all  might 
believe  through  him."  That  was  his  real  aim,  not 
that  men  should  take  him  to  be  the  Messiah.     He  had 

J  John  5  :  35;   1 :  4,  9  f. 

2  John  1:8.  »  John  1 :  1-5.  *  John  1 :  6. 

8  Westcott,  "John,"  in  loco.  ^  John  1 :  7. 


LINGERING  ECHOES  305 

denied  that  repeatedly.*  His  purpose  was  to  help 
men,  whose  eyes  were  blinded,  to  see  the  Light.  This 
mission  he  fulfilled  grandly,  gloriously.  He  was  able 
to  brush  aside  the  misconceptions  of  current  rabbin- 
ism  and  help  men  to  see  how  Jesus  as  the  Messiah 
fitted  into  the  Old  Testament  picture.  He  found  the 
point  of  contact  between  Jesus  and  Malachi.  He  was 
himself  the  link  between  the  two.  As  the  last  of  the 
prophets  he  set  his  seal  of  approval  upon  the  Messiah, 
and  then  stepped  aside  or  was  pushed  aside  by  Phari-^ 
see  and  Herod,  not  by  Jesus.  John's  mission  had  not 
failed.  He  lived  to  be  able  to  say :  "  This  was  he  of 
whom  I  said.  He  that  cometh  after  me  is  become  be- 
fore me  :  for  he  was  before  me."  ^  When  he  was  able 
to  say  that,  he  had  fulfilled  his  mission. 

Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer,  in  his  helpful  book,  "John  the 
Baptist,"  ^  has  drawn  a  striking  parallel  between  John 
and  Jesus.  The  lives  of  both  were  strenuous  and 
short.  Each  met  boundless  enthusiasm  of  the  masses, 
followed  by  the  bitter  hatred  of  the  religious  leaders. 
In  each  case  a  little  handful  of  disciples  laid  the  dead 
body  in  the  tomb  without  hope.  But  here,  Mr. 
Meyer  urges,  the  parallel  ends.  John's  death  was  a 
martyrdom;  that  of  Jesus  was  a  sacrifice.  John's  body 
has  not  risen  from  the  dead,  while  Jesus  came  out  of 
the  grave.  The  disciples  of  John  were  scattered  and 
absorbed  or  perverted.  Those  of  Jesus  after  the 
sight  of  the  Risen  Christ  united  to  wait  for  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  go  forth  on  a  world  conquest. 
The  influence  of  John  has  decreased,  as  he  said  it 

•  John  1:  19  f.:  3:28.  «  John  1:15.  s  pp.  n  i. 


306  JOHN  THE  LOYAL 

would,  while  to-day  the  name  of  Jesus  is  mightier 
than  ever  before,  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 

This  is  all  as  it  should  be,  as  John  foresaw  and 
wished.  It  is  not  honoring  John  the  Baptist  to  sug- 
gest possible  jealousy  in  his  heart  toward  Christ.  I 
have  called  him  "John  the  Loyal"  because  it  is  true, 
and  because  I  wished  thus  to  set  in  clear  light  his 
devotion  to  Jesus.  That  is  his  real  glory.  I  have 
sought  to  expound  his  greatness  and  his  power  as  we 
see  these  qualities  in  the  gospels.  But  I  cannot  write 
the  last  lines  in  this  book  about  John  without  the 
humble  tribute  of  my  own  heart's  love.  Few  person- 
alities in  history  hold  my  admiration  and  enthusiasm 
with  a  firmer  grip  than  does  the  rugged  and  pictu- 
resque figure  who  still  stands  silhouetted  on  the  hori- 
zon at  Bethany  beyond  Jordan  in  Gilead,  the  land 
of  Elijah  of  old.  I  see  him  standing  "  and  he  looked 
upon  Jesus  as  he  walked."  His  heart  has  gone  with 
that  look;  he  keeps  on  looking  till  he  says  :  "Behold, 
the  Lamb  of  God."  He  can  say  no  more.  There  is 
no  need  to  say  more,  not  for  John.  And  he  never  saw 
him  more  on  earth. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  Bible  dictionaries,  lives  of  Christ,  commentaries  on  the 
gospels,  all  have  valuable  discussions  of  the  ministry  of  the  Bap- 
tist. The  most  important  separate  treatises  on  John  the  Baptist 
are  given  below. 

Barde,  "Jean  Baptiste"  (1892). 

BoLssonas,  "De  I'Attitude  de  Jean  Baptiste." 

Bomemann,  "Die  Taufe  Christi  durch  Johannes." 

Breest,  "Johannes  der  Taufer"  (1881). 

Breuil,  "Du  Culte  de  S.  Jean  Baptiste." 

Chenot,  "  Jean  le  Baptiste." 

Coleridge,  "Ministry  of  St.  John  the  Baptist."     (Vol.  I  of  his 
"Public  Life  of  Our  Lord.") 
.  Douglas,  "More  Than  a  Prophet"  (1905). 

Duncan,  "Life,  Character,  and  Acts  of  John  the  Baptist"  (1853). 

Feather,  "John  the  Baptist." 

Gale,  "The  Prophet  of  the  Highest." 

Gams,  "Johannes  der  Taufer"  (1853). 

Geux,  "Jean  Baptiste." 

Haupt,  "Johannes  der  Taufer"  (1874). 
r  Holmes,  "On  the  Prophecies  and  Testimony  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist" (1783). 

Houghton,  "John  the  Baptist— His  Life  and  Work"  (1889). 

Huxtable,  "Ministry  of  St.  John  the  Baptist." 

Innitzer,  "Johannes  der  Taufer"  (1908). 

Kohler,  "Johannes  der  Taufer"  (1884). 

Lofton,  "John  the  Baptist"  (1905). 

Mandel,  "Die  Vorgeschichte  Jesu." 

McCullough,  "The  Peerless  Prophet;  or,  the  Life  and  Times  of 
John  the  Baptist"  (1888). 

Meyer,  "John  the  Baptist"  (1901). 

Penick,  "More  Than  a  Prophet"  (1881). 
'^Reynolds,  "John  the  Baptist"  (1874). 

307 


308  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

I  Rjmington,  "Vox  Clamantis:    Life  and  Ministry  of  John  the 
Baptist"  (1882). 
Simpson,  "The  Last  of  the  Prophets." 
Smith,  "Johannes  de  Dooper"  (1908). 
7  Stalker,  "The  Two  St.  Johns"  (1895). 
■\  Van  Rohden,  "John  the  Baptist"  (1853). 
-Wilkinson,  "A  Johannine  Document  in  the  Early  Chapters  of 
St.  Luke's  Gospel." 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Aaron 6 

Abia *. 7 

Allen 54,  102,  118 

Andrew 157 

Apollos 290  ff. 

Arrian 81 

Bacon 132 

Baptism:  Origin  of,  79  f .;  Sig- 
nificance of,  82,  163  ff.;  Re- 
lation to  Christian  B.,  86  ff.; 
Messianic,  101  fif.;  of  Jesus, 
Significance  of ,  117  S. 

Bebb 84,  114 

Bengel 36,  105 

Bernard 175 

"Biblical  World" 117 

Bibliography 307  f. 

Birth,  Hand  of  God  in If. 

Blass 293,  296 

Bond 240 

Bradley 5,  45 

Briggs 126 

"British  Weekly" 91 

Broadus.  .25,  41,  49,  58,  63,  71,  etc. 

Bruce 4,  9,  12,  13,  14,  16,  28,  etc. 

Burkitt 72 

Buxtorf 173 

Cheer  for  John 217  S, 

Cheyne 15,  30,  42,  82 

Chowlson 82 

Chrysostom 236,  240 

Clement  of  Alexandria 57 

Committee  from  Jerusalem .  .  132  ff . 

Confession 78 

Consolation 251 

Courage  of  John 222  fif. 

Criticism 4  f . 

Cry,  The,  from  the  Dungeon  .  207  ff . 

Dale,  J.  W 88 

Dalman 54 

Dance 256  ff. 

Daniel 11 

David 7 

Davis 245 

Death    of    John    Reported    to 

Jesus 268 

Desert 27  f. 

Didon 15,  17,  44 

Disciples  of  Jesus  Puzzled 275 

Disciples  Misguided 294  ff. 

Dods 83,  134,  136,  137,  139,  etc. 

309 


Doubt 195  ff. 

Drummond 132 

Edersheim,  20,  36,  39,  48,  63,  71,  etc. 

Elijah... 11 

Elizabeth:     1,  4,  6,  9,  18,  25, 

26,  27;  Fellowship  with  Mary, 

16  f.;   Joy  of,  15. 
Essenes 29  f. 

Farrar.  .32,  34,  56,  57,  67,  68,  etc. 
Friendship  of  John  and  Jesus  .171  ff. 
Furrer 65 

Geike 20,  57,  70,  81,  85,  etc. 

Gift  to  Herodias 264 

Godet ....  22,  23,  30,  35,  37,  38,  etc. 

Graves,  J.  R 88 

Grove 47 

Hackett 297,  298 

Hamack 1,  201 

Hemerobaptists 297 

Henderson 142 

Herod:  10,  258  f.;  Acquies- 
cence of,  261  f.;  Sin  of, 
180  ff.;  John's  Denunciation 
of,  182  ff.;  Terror  of,  270  ff. 
Herodias:  180,  183,  254  ff.; 
Dance  of,  256;  Demand  of, 
259  f. 
Holtzmann,  1,  36,  37,  42,  43,  44,  etc. 

Isaac 4 

James,  Wm 2 

Jeremiah 11 

Jesus:  Appearance  of.  111  ff. 
Father's  Approval  of,  125  ff. 
John  the  Baptist:  A  Fading 
Light.  Appearance  of,  42  ff.; 
Attitude  to  Jesus,  131, 170ff.; 
Audience  of,  58  ff.;  Baptism  of, 
see  "Baptism";  Birth,  Hand 
of  God  in.  If.;  Burial  of, 
266;  Call  of,  33  ff.;  Charac- 
ter Foretold,  7;  Cheer  for, 
217  ff.;  Confession  of,  136  ff.; 
Courage  of,  222  ff.;  Death 
of,  263  f.;  Disciples  of,  156; 
Doubt  of,  195  ff.;  Early  Life, 
24  ff.;  Effect  of  Ministry, 
55  ff.,  155  ff.;  Fearlessness  of , 
65;   Forerunner,  44  ff.;   Gen- 


310 


INDEX 


John  the  Baptist — Continued 
tie  Reproof  of,  220  ff.;  Home 
of,  6,  14;  Identifying  the 
Messiah,  143  ff.;  Imprison- 
ment of,  186;  In  the  Desert, 
27  f .;  Interpretation  of  Jesus, 
147  £F.,  154  f.;  Jesus'  Esti- 
mate of,  226  flf.;  Last  Sight  of 
Jesus,  153  ff.;  Likeness  to 
EUjah,  45  f.;  Loyalty  of, 
167  ff.;  Meeting  with  Jesus, 
113  f.;  Method  of,  61  ff.; 
More  than  a  Prophet,  228  ff.; 
Name  of,  18;  New  Testimony 
of,  151  flf.;  Power  after  Death, 
280  ff.;  Parentage,  6;  Phi- 
losophy of.  168  ff.;  Place  of 
Ministry,  40  ff.,  161  f.;  Pow- 
er as  Preacher,  90  ff.;  Procla- 
mation of,  52  flf.;  Reflection 
of,  129  ff.;  Rejection  of,  243 
flf.;  Submission  to  Reign  of 
God,  70  ff.;  Time  of  Ministry, 
36  ff.;  Testimony  to  Jesus, 
98  ff.,  176  ff.;  Test  of  Loyal- 
ty, 165  flf.;  Work  of,  Con- 
structive. 69  ff. 

John,  the  Disciple 157 

Jones.  M 288 

Josephus 27,  29,  37,  57,  67,  etc. 

Judgment.  The  Messianic 105  f . 

Justin  Martyr 297 

Keim 28,  29,  31,  47,  64,  etc. 

Kirtley 121 

Knowling 292,  295,  296 

Kohler 78 

Lambert 15,  30,  31 

Lange 52,  55,  114,  122,  164 

Last  Look  at  John 303 

Least  in  the  Kingdom 235  ff. 

Levites 7 

Lightfoot 54,  297,  303 

Lightf oot  and  Wetstein 54 

Lodge,  Sir  Oliver 2 

Maclaren,  A 44,  231 

Marcion 1 

Margoliouth 82 

Mary 1,3,  16,  17,111 

McGiffert 296 

Messiah:     John's  Conception  of , 

108  f.;    The  Sign  of,  106  ff.; 

Recognized  by  John,  114  ff.; 

Second  Glimpse  of,  143. 

Meyer 18,  146,  150,  151,  155, 

279,  305 

Moulton 67 

Muirhead 72 

Nazirite 10 

Neander 297 

New  Epoch 285  ff. 


Nicholson 43 

Nourse 31,  55,  115,  130 

Othon 14 

"Oxford    Library    of    the    Fa- 
thers"     210 

Parentage 6 

Paul:     10;    Impression  of,  287. 
Peter  9 

Pharisees .  .'  10,  190  "ff .',  '202  f .',  243  ff . 
Plummer,  1,  2,  4,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12,  etc. 

Political  Excuse 192  ff. 

Pressens^ 46 

Priscilla  and  Aquila 292,  295 

Prophets,  The  Last  of  the.  .  .  226  ff. 

Ramsay 2 

Reforrnation 88  ff. 

Rejection 243 

Religious  Teachers,  Sins  of .  . .  .63  ff. 

R^nan 1 14 

Rendall 293,  295,  302 

Repent  (meaning  of) 75  f. 

Repentance 74 

Reproof  of  John 220  ff . 

Resentment  of  Herod  and  He- 

rodias 186  ff. 

Reynolds .  .  25,  28,  30,  31,  47,  48,  etc. 
Robertson 236 

Samson 4 

Samuel 4 

Sanday 72.  132,  219 

Schoettgen 47 

Schuerer 30,  63,  106 

Schweitzer 72 

Scripture  Record:  Value  of, 
2  f .;    Date  of,  3. 

Sign  from  Heaven 122  ff. 

Sins  (Remission  of) 76  f. 

Smith..  15,  29,  31,  34,  40,  52,  etc. 

Stalker 75,  147,  150,  239,  etc. 

Stanley 41 

Strauss 211 

Swete 42,  56,  123 

Tasker 32,  34 

Tiberius 37,  39 

Weiss 4,  21, 44,  53,  79,  85,  etc. 

Wellhausen 63 

Westcott 60,  77,  79,  134,  135, 

136,  137,  etc. 

Westcott  and  Hort 22,  46 

Wetstein 67 

Whitsitt 174 

Wonder  of  the  People 95  ff. 

Wordsworth 31 

Zacharias:  6,  7,  8,  9,  13,  14, 
15,  16,  18,  19,  25,  26,  27,  71, 
etc.;  Insight  of,  20  ff.;  Scep- 
ticism of,  11. 

Zahn 233 


SCRIPTURE  INDEX 


Genesis 

Judges 

Proverbs 

BEP. 

page 

6:36-39 

12 

8:  Iff.... 

251 

4:2-6 

.      12 

9:  Ifif... 

251 

13:  lOf 

.     40 

I   Samuel 

28:  13.... 

76 

24:  1 

6 

25  :  22 

.      16 

18:6 

257 

Isaiah 

33  :  18 

.    161 

40:  14 

.    277 

II  Samuel 

1 

16  f... 

75 

40  :  20  ff 

.    255 

7 

11 

12 

49:23 

.    186 

6:21 

257 

8 

14 

220 

7:  13 

71 

9 

2 

24 

Exodus 

7:  16 

71 

9 
9 

6 

71 

7 

71 

4:25 

7:4f 

.      18 
.      19 

I  Kings 

11  :  1-10. 
11  :  2 

71 
102 

15:20 

.    257 
.    171 

7:1 

17  :  1 

185 

44 

13 
34 

:  9 

65 

24:15 

:  8-10. 

105 

Leviticus 

18:  If 

19  :  2 

185 

277 

35:5.... 
40  :  1-11. 

219 
11 

19  :  10  . 

277 

40:3 

.32,47 

139 

5:5 

78 

19  :  19 

42 

40:3-5.. 

49 

6:  12f 

105 

40:4f.... 

65 

11  :  Iff 

80 

II  Kings 

40  :  6 

50 

11  :  22 

43 

40:  lOf... 

49 

12  :  1 fif 

80 

1:8 

1  :  15 

3  :  15 

6:  17 

20  •  8 

43 

185 

19 

8 

12 

49  •  1 

126 

13  :  Iff 

80 

52  :  15 

79 

14  :  1  ff. . 

80 

53  •  1  fif 

77 

150 

15  :  Iff 

80 

53  :  5 

148 

16:  13 

14 

53:7 

32,77 

148 

16:  21 

78 

53  :  12 

14S 

18  :  12  fif 

183 

54  :  5      ... 

219 

18:  16 

182 

I  Chronicles 

55:7 

75 

20:21 

182 

61  :  1 

219 

24  :  10 

7 

63  :  16. . . . 

11 

Numbers 

II   CHRO^^CLE8 

66:24.... 

32 

4:3 

112 

Jeremiah 

4:23 

112 

28  :  12f 

9 

4  :  30 

112 
112 

Ezra 

7 

7 

3 

75 

4:43 

7 

75 

4  :47 

112 

23  :  5 

71 

6  •  24-''6 

14 
80 

7:6 

19 

23 

.   A 

71 

19:  Iff 

Psalms 

KIEL 

EZE 

Deutebonomy 

2:7 126 

152 

16  :  1  ff . . . 

171 

18:  15 

138 

2:  12 

152 

18  :  19-32. 

75 

28:4 

17 

45:  If 

171 

36  :  25-27. 

....75 

103 

31  :  16 

171 

73:27 

171 

37  :  25 

79 

82  :  6 

152 

37:24.... 

71 

Joshua 

89  :  1  fif 

71 
17 

Daniel 

110:  1 

13:  1 

6 

113  :  4 

16 

15  :  55 

14 
14 

113  :  6 

16 
215 

3: 
5: 

25 

12 

21  :  16 

118:26 

Iff 

257 

311 


312 


INDEX 


7:  13 215 

8:16 12 

10:13 13 

10:  21 12,13 

12:1 13 

HOSEA 

2:8 171 

6:6 55 

Joel 

2:12f 75 

2  :  28 103 

2  :  31 65 

3:1 103 

MiCAH 

4:1-8 11 

5:2 107 

6:8 75 

Zechariah 

1:34 75 

9:9 99 

13  :  1 79 

13:4 42,91 

Malachi 

1:3 1 

2:  11  171 

3:  1...45,  50,  99,  228 
3:2 65,  104 

3  :  19 104 

3  :23 276 

4:  1...50,65, 104,  106 

4:4f 276 

4:5 46,  50.  137 

4:6 277 

Matthew 

1:9 112 

2:4f 107 

2:  14 200 

2  :  22 180 

3:  1 35,36,40.45 

3:1-12 5 

3:2...  .36,53,73,74 
3:3 45,139 

3  :4 42,43,44 

3:5 58,  133 

3  :6 43,  78 

3:  7.. 58,  59,   88,   89, 

133,  183,  203 

3  :  7-10 63 

3:8 74,  251 

3:9 67 

3  :  10.67.103,  143,213 

3  :  11.. 73,  75,  97,  99, 

101,    102,    103,    151, 

213.  237,  288,  294, 

299,  300 


3:  11  f 86.87 

3:  12....  103,  105,  213 

3  :  13 112.  113 

3:13fif 87 

3  :  14 18,  111,  114, 

116, 119 

3  :  14  f 88 

3:  15 117 

3  :  16 122 

3  :  17 125,  152 

4:8 135 

4  :  12.. 5, 162,  190,290 
4:  17 53,  74,  201 

4  :  25 202 

5  :3fif 17,  220 

5  :  20 203 

6:9 100 

6:  26 105 

7  :  12 198 

7  :  19 247 

7  :  20 251 

7  :  28f 103 

9  :9flf 62 

9  :  10. . . .  199,  202,  242 

9  :  11 47,199 

9:13f 78 

9:  14.. 5,  30,  79,  200, 

290,  296 
9:  15....  172,  201,  238 

9  :  17 187 

9  :  22-26 204 

9  :34 202,  249 

10:  20 273 

10:41 299 

11  :2...184,  195,  201, 
209,  218,  296 

11  :2f 175,  290 

11:2-19 5 

11  :3 48,  95.  207 

11  :4f 218 

11  :  6 220 

11  :  7 59,  221,  225 

11  :  8 184 

11  :9 79,  226 

11  :  10 228 

11  :  11.. 87.   100,   223, 
231,  235 

ll:llf 79 

11  :  12 57,  242 

ll:12f 36 

11  :  13 228 

11  :  14..  45,  46,  50,  229 

11  :  15 229,  276 

11  :  16 247 

11  :  16f 246 

11:18 98 

11  :  19 251 

11  :  29 124 

12:  18 126 

12  :  23  £f 249 

12  :24f 273 

12  :  24-26 249 

12:34 65 

12:41 75,  299 

13  :  9 229 

13  :  30 105 

13  :43 229 

14  :  1  f 269 


14  :  1-12 254 

14  :2 273,  274 

14  :  3 186 

14  :  3-12 5 

14:4 183,  188 

14:5 198,  261 

14  :  6 258 

14  :8 254,  260 

14  :9 250,  262 

14  :  11 264 

14  :  12.... 70,  266,268 

14  :  13 269 

16:4 48 

16  :  13 275 

16:  14 138.  273 

16:18f 71 

16  :  21f 149 

16  :  25 238 

17  :5 125.  275 

17  :  6 275 

17:9 278 

17  :  10 46,  48 

17  :  10-13.45,  137,f276 

17  :  11 47,  231 

17  :  12.11,46,266,277 

17  :  12f 5 

17  :  13 47,278 

18:  1 237 

19:13 11 

20:  1-16 233 

21:23-27 5 

21  :  24f 282,  118 

21  :  25.... 80,  120,  285 

21  :  25f 283 

21  :  25  ff 79 

21  :  25-27 188 

21  :  26 10,  56,  227 

21  :  27 284 

21:30 74 

21  :31 244 

21  :32..5,  56,  80,  188, 

191,243,245,285 

22  :  1  f 172 

22  :  42  ff 17 

23  :  1  ff 185 

24:  Iff 54,  106 

24  :  15 229 

24:50 95 

25  :  Iff.  ..54,  106,  172 

26  :45f 54,  99 

27  :  3 74 

27  :46 127 

28:  19 86.87,301 

Mark 

1:1 36 

1  :2 45.  228 

1:2-8 5 

1:4 40,  76,  101 

1  :  5.56,58,78.84,  133 

1:6 42,  43 

1  :  7..95,  97,  99,  100, 
142,  237,  288 

1  :7f 86,87 

1  :8..73, 102, 103,294 

1:9 78 

l:9f 87 


INDEX 


313 


Mark — Continued 

1  :  10 122 

1  :  11 126 

1  :  14 5,  162,  201 

1  :  15 47,  53,  74 

1  :45 202 

2  :  10-12 202 

2  :  15 199,  20 

2  :  16  199 

2  :  18.  !5,  69,  200,  202, 

209,  296 

2:  19f 172 

2  :  20 201 

3:6 42 

3  :  16 203 

3  :  21 116 

3  :  22ff 249 

5  :  35-43 204 

6  :  12 74 

6  :  14.... 269,  273,  274 

6  :  14-29 254 

6:  15 273 

6:  17....186, 192,  195 

6:17-29 5 

6:  18 183 

6:  19...  186,  187,  197. 

198,  254 

6:  20.  .184,  186,  1*87, 

188,  197,  198,  261, 

271 

6:21 194,  255 

6:  22 258,  259 

6:  23 259 

6  :  24 260 

6  :  25 261 

6  :  26 262 

6:  28 264 

6  :  29.  ...266,290,296 
6  :30f 269 

8  :  27 275 

9  :  7 125,  275 

9:9 278 

9  :  11 47,  276 

9:  llf 45,  46 

9  :  12..11,47,  277,  278 
9  :  13.. 5,  230,  266,  277 
9:34 238 

9  :  38  f 239 

10  :  12 183 

10  :  38  f 104 

11  :  9 215 

11  :  18 280 

11  :  27 280 

11:27-33 5 

11  :  29f 282 

11  :31 283 

11  :32 56,  283 

11  :  33 284 

12  :30 100 

14  :  5 10 

14  :35f 213 

Luke 

1:1-4 2 

1:4 293 

1  :  5-25 1,5 

1:6 6 


1:7 6 

1  :  12 19 

1  :  14 18 

1  :  15 1,  99,  233 

1  :  17.. 71, 90, 137,  230, 
244,  277 

1  :  18 12,  209 

1  :  21 95 

1  :  22 18 

1:25 15 

1  :35 125 

1:36-45 5 

1:36-56 1 

1  :  38 12 

1  :39 14 

1  :43f 16 

1  :  57-80 1,  5 

1  :  59 18 

1  :61 18 

1  :  63 19 

1  :  66 1 

1  :  68f 22,  23 

1  :  79 24 

1  :80...24,  27,  35,  205 

2  :  14 24 

2  :  19 Ill 

2  :  25 71 

2:23-38 52 

2  :  25  ff 149 

2  :  29  f 248 

2  :34 156 

2  :  35 146 

2  :  38 72 

2:40 95 

2:49 123 

2  :  50 19,  111 

2:  52 Ill 

3:1 37 

3  :  1-20 5 

3:2 35,  78,  99 

3  :  3.. 40, 69, 75. 76, 101 

3:4 24 

3:7 58,  84,  89 

3:7-9 63 

3:8 74,  88,  102 

3:9 108 

3  :  10 90 

3:10-14 61 

3  :  12 79,  89,  90 

3  :  14 90 

3  :  15.  .14,  19,  78,  95, 

133.  135 

3  :  16 96,  99,  102, 

103, 142.  237,  288.  294 

3  :  16f 86,  87 

3  :  17 32,  103,  105 

3  :  18 61,  73 

3  :  19 61,  186.  187 

3  :  19  f  . .  162,  180,  185 

3  :  21 112,  122 

3:21f 87 

3  :  22 126 

3  :  23 38,  112 

3  :  24 124 

3  :32 184 

4  :  41 202 

5  :  26 202 

5:29 199 


. ...  199 

250 

74 

200,  296 

172 

....  201 

204 

271 

204 


30.... 
31  f... 
32.... 
33 .  .  5, 
34  f  . . , 
36.... 

1 

7 

11-18. 

18 198,  201 

18  f 296 

18-35 5 

19....  175,  207,  209 

21 218 

22 218 

23 220 

24 59,  221,  222 

24  f 224 

26 226 

27 228 

28 10,  231,  235 

29 56,  120,  242 

29  f 85,  243 

:  30 56,  98 

32 246 

33 98,  199 

;33f 247,  248 

;  36 251 

;  39 19 

:  7 269,  273 


7-9. 
8... 
9... 
31.. 
34.. 
35.. 
54.. 
30-37. 


254 
273 
274 
278 
275 
275 
238 
62 
1  ..5,  69,  199,  296 


125, 


18. 
38... 
39... 
50... 
3.... 
5.... 
6-9.. 
31  ff. 
32... 
35... 
1-32. 
7.... 
10... 
16..5,  36,  57,  228, 
239,  242,  287 
4 74 


191 


204 

80 

260 

104 

74 

74 

68 

192 

181 

215 

250 

74 

74 


....  200 

....  78 

219 

239 

88 

...62,63 

71 

233 

215 

48 280 

1 280,  281 

1-8 5 

2 281 


314 


INDEX 


20:3f 282 

20:6 283 

20:  7 284 

22:  24 239 

22:43 8 

23  :  8 274 

23:51 71 

24:47 75 

24  :49 294 

26  :6-12 285 


John 

1  :  1-5 304 

1  :4 74,304 

1  :6 78,92,  304 

l:6f 70 

1:6-8 5 

1:7 304 

1  :7ff 117 

1  :8 149,  175,  304 

1  :9 99,  175 

1  :9f 304 

1  :  10 175,  277 

1  :  11 50,  141 

1  :  15,.  5, 101,145,305 

1:17 46 

1  :  19 30,  134,  207 

1  :  19f 305 

1  :  19ff..5,  45,  59,  97, 

170,  224,  282 
1  :  20....  135,  136,  229 

1  :21 11,  137 

1  :21f 46,48,  72 

1  :  22 138 

1  :  23 32,  45 

1  :23f 139 

1  :24 148 

1  :25.  .79.134,164,191 

1  :  26.. .145,  146,  170, 

288 

1  :  28.41,42,  113,  132, 

134.  142,  170 

1  :  29 32,77,  114, 

129,    143,  213,   237, 

287,  303 

1  :  30... 144,  170,  229, 

300 

1  :  31....  110,  145,  146 

1  :31f 108 

1  :31fE 1.  114 

1  :  32... 117,  123,  141, 

147,  151,  170 

1  :  33... 102,  109,  124, 

151 

1  :34 151,  289 

1  :  35...  114,  153,  170, 
237, 296 

1  :  35  f 151 

1  :  35fF 86,  303 

1  :  36 154 

1  :37 156,  296 

1  :38 157 

1  :  39 158 

1  :  40 154 

1:41 55.  158 


1  : 

45 

...     55 

Acts 

1  :51 

...   123 

2:  1-11 

...    249 

2:5 

...    Ill 

1  :3-8.... 

294 

2:  13 

...204 

1:5 

.3,  102,  104 

2:  13ff....5] 

,  69,  191 

1:6 

108 

2  :  23  flf 

...    161 

...    224 
...    176 

1  :22 

5,  286 

2  :  25 

2:1   ...    . 

39 

3:  16-21 

2:  If 

294 

3  :  Iff 

...    161 

2  :  16-24.. 

103 

3:  22 

...    162 

2:38 

75,86 

3:22-36.... 

...        5 

2:39 

298 

3:23 

.  .41,42 

2:41 

86 

3  :  23-26 

...    101 

3:  If 

294 

3  :  24 

...    162 

3:5 

96 

3:25 

.83,  296 

3  :  10 

14 

3:  26.. 51,  83 

,  86,  87, 

3  :  22 

138 

131,  165, 

171,209 

3:39 

298 

3  :  26-30 

.  .  .  .      70 
168,  210 

4:6 

39 

3:27ff 

4:  13 

14,  20 

3:28 

171,  305 

4  :  28 

19 

3:28£ 

. ...    303 

4  :  30. . . . 

19 

3  :  29...  160, 

171,  200 

7:37.... 

138 

3  :  30 

174 

8:2 

77 

3:31 

99 

8:  18.... 

10 

3  :  31-36 

176 

9:9 

32 

4:1 

..5,  296 

9  :  17f . . . 

302 

4:  If 83 

,  86,  160, 

10:37.... 

5,  287 

184,  190 

10  :  44  fif . 

302 

4:3 

103,  162 

11  :  16... 

5,  102 

4:36 

....     62 

11  :18... 

75 

4  :37 

. ...    157 

11  :21... 

19 

5  :  10-18. . . . 

. ...    203 

12:  If... 

9 

5:  19-29.... 

203 

12  :  8 

100 

5:30 

. . . .      60 

12  :  24  f . . 

5 

5  :  33 

. ...    149 

13:  11... 

13,  19 

5  :  33£f 

..5,  203 

13:23ff.. 

288 

5:35 70 

,  97,  225, 

13  :  24... 

75 

234. 

282,  304 

13  :  24  ff . . 

102 

6 

14 

....   138 

13:25... 

97 

6 

30 

....  273 

15:2... 

163 

6 

63 

91 

15  :31... 

75 

7 

27 

.  ....    107 

16  :  24... 

189 

7 

31 

.107,  117 

17:30... 

74 

7 

33 

117 

18:24... 

291 

7 

40 

. ...    138 

18:25... 

.5,  87,  291, 

7 

41  f 

107 

294,  297 

7 

47  f 

....    245 

18:26... 

292 

8 

33 

. . . .      67 

18:27... 

295 

8 

53 

67 

18:  28... 

...291,  294 

10:4 

287 

19  :  1 

295 

10  :  40 

....      41 

19:  1-7.. 

70 

10:40-42... 

5,51,157 

19  :  1-10. 

86 

10:41 

.  .  .  .      52 

19  :2..  .. 

...296,298 

11  :27 

...12,  99 

19:2ff... 

102 

11  :39f 

....      12 

19:3... 

. .  .  296,  299 

12:  28 

125 

19  :3ff... 

5 

12  :  44-50. . . 

....    176 

19  :4.  .71 

75,  86,  270, 

13 
15 

:  6 

117 

19:5.... 

289,  299 

:  26  ff 

....    294 

.  . . . 292,  301 

16  •  16 

....    296 
127 

19  :  6 

302 

17  :  5 

19:7.... 

295 

17:24 

127 

19  :  18... 

78 

18:  13 

....      39 

20:  21... 

74 

18:  19 

....      39 

20:24... 

289 

19  :  12 

....    281 

23  :  1  ff . . . 

3 

19  :  27 

....      50 

24  :47... 

74 

2C 

>:  22 

....    294 

26  :  1  ff. . . 

255 

INDEX 


315 


26  :  20 74 

26:24 16 

Romans 

2:4 74 

6:  1  flF 66,88 

6:  2-6 122 

7:  Iff 66 

8:  Iff 66 

10:8ff 78 

I  Corinthians 

3:4 291 

13:  13 235 

15:16ff 8 

16:  12 191 

18:4 235 

23  :  11 235 

II  Corinthians 

3:  lOf 241 

7:8 74 

7:9 74 

7:10 74 

11  :  Iff 241 

11  :  2 172 

Galatians 

4  :  1  ff 66 

6:  Iff 66 

Ephesians 

1  :  19 100 

5:32f 172 


Philippians 

3:8 68 

I  Thessalonians 

2:8 62 

I  Timothy 

5:20 185 

6:4 163 

6  :  20 105 

II  Timothy 

2:  23 163 

2:25 75 

4:7 289 

4  :  10 189 

4:  13 189 

4:21 189 

Titus 

3:9 167 

Hebrews 

1:14 13 

3:5f 71 

5:7 100,  213 

6:1 74 

6:2 164 

6:  18 100 

9:  10 80,  164 

10:37 215 

11  :26f 252 

11:37 43 

12  :  17 74 


James 

1  :  1  ff 66 

1:8 187 

2:21 67 

4:4 172 

I  Peter 

1  :  1  ff 66 

1  :7f 104 

1  :  10 154 

II  Peter 

1  :  1  ff 66 

3:12 95 

3:14 95 

I  John 

1  :  1  ff 66 

1;9 76 

JUDE 

9 13 

Revelation 

2:5 74 

3:3 74 

5  :  12 100 

12:7 15 

19  :  7 172 

21  :  2 172 

21  :  9 172 

22:  17 172 


Epochs  in  the  Life  of  Jesus 

A  Study  of  Development  and  Struggle 
in  the  Messiah's  Work 

By  A.  T.  ROBERTSON,  D.D. 

Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation  in  the  Southern  Baptist 
Theological  Seminary- 
Price  $1.00  net 

A  Straightforward,  constructive  discussion  of  the  career 
of  Jesus  as  set  forth  in  the  Gospels.  There  is  no  technical 
criticism  of  the  sources,  though  the  writer  has  reached  his 
own  conclusions  on  many  points  which  come  out  incidentally. 
It  forms  a  positive  presentation  of  the  career  of  Jesus  in  the 
light  of  modem  knowledge  and  in  full  sympathy  with  the 
position  given  to  Christ  in  the  Gospels. 

Just  the  book  that  thousands  need,  as  is  shown  by  its 
steady  sale. 

Rev.  Prof.  David  Smith,  author  of  ''In  the  Days  of  His  Flesh,^^ 
Magee  College,  Ireland,  in  his  Introduction  to  the  British  edition  of 
Dr.  Robertson's  book : 

**  It  is  intelligible  to  the  layman  and  will  profit  the  expert.  It  is 
the  harvest  of  long,  diligent,  and  loving  labor  on  the  widest  and  richest 
of  fields." 

Missionary  Record  of  The  United  Free  Church,  Scotland: 

"  Those  to  whom  the  life  of  Christ  is  a  never-ending  study  will  here 
find  it  handled  with  the  skill  of  a  scholar  and  the  affection  of  a  saint." 

Record  of  Christian  Work,  Northfield : 

"  This  little  volume  is  pure  cream.  Dr.  Robertson  is  gifted  with 
a  telling  style.     His  sentences  are  like  pistol-shots." 

The  American  Church  Sunday- School  Magazine,  Philadelphia: 

"From  the  first  essay  to  the  eighth,  on  'The  Final  Triumph  of 
Jesus,'  the  book  has  been  meat  and  drink  to  us." 

The  Aberdeen  Free  Press,  Scotland: 

"  The  book  reminds  us  in  many  ways  of  Professor  Bruce's  first  and 
greatest  book,  '  The  Training  of  the  Twelve. '  We  have  much  of  the 
same  directness,  of  the  same  insight  into  the  mind  of  Jesus." 

The  Christian  Index,  Atlanta: 

"  One  really  feels,  as  he  closes  the  book,  that  he  has  been  with  the 
Master." 


Epochs  in  the  Life  of  Paui  1 

By  the  Same  Author 

Price  $1.25  net 

This  book  has  met  the  same  hearty  reception  in 
America  and  Britain. 

T^e  Westminster  Teacher,  Philadelphia: 

"  If  I  were  teaching  a  class  in  the  life  of  Paul  to  young  men  and 
women  in  training  for  Christian  service,  I  should  use  Dr.  Robertson's 
work  as  a  text-book  in  preference  to  any  other  I  know." 

The  Courier- Journal,  Louisville: 

"A  sort  of  prescience  seems  to  guide  his  pen.  .  .  .  Indeed,  it 
seems  to  the  reader  as  if  never  before  has  Paul  been  presented  as  so 
living  an  individual." 

The  Churchman,  London: 

"It  is  written  in  the  full  light  of  the  latest  and  best  works  on 
the  subject.  .  .  .  We  know  nothing  like  it  as  a  thorough  introduction 
to  the  study  of  St.  Paul's  career.  ...  It  is  a  marvel  of  compression, 
clearness,  and  ability.  It  reveals  a  thorough  mastery  of  the  subject 
in  all  its  bearings,  and  is  a  first-rate  example  of  able,  open-eyed, 
conservative  scholarship." 

The  Scotsman,  Edinburgh: 

"  The  brightness  of  the  word-painting,  the  unconventional  fresh- 
ness of  the  phrasing,  and  the  vivid  modernizing  of  the  numerous 
details  in  the  sketch  make  it  eminently  reasonable  and  certain  of  a 
cordial  welcome  from  many  classes." 

The  Free  Press,  Aberdeen,  Scotland: 

"  It  has  been  a  common  superstition  that  Farrar  wrote  the  best 
living  picture  of  the  great  Apostle ;  but  whoever  reads  Dr.  Robertson's 
study  will  relegate  Farrar  to  the  shelf.  This  book  lacks  the  rhetoric 
of  the  other,  and  it  is  briefer,  but  in  sound  scholarship  and  vivid 
force  it  is  miles  ahead." 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
153-157    Fifth    Avenue.    NewYork 


Date  Due 


